Rapids: The 248th Hunger Games
by Lilah32
Summary: "These violent delights have violent ends." - William Shakespeare. The water is swift and dark, violently pulling the child down and into the inky black water... Let the 248th Hunger Games begin! (SYOT CLOSED: 2/24 ALIVE)
1. Prologue

**The Capitol**

 **Leda Dashlon**

Last year's Hunger Games were the best yet. Even the toughest people to please were satisfied, ranting all year long about how they were the best ever. Despite this, I'm concerned about this year's Games. How on Earth am I supposed to top last year?

I know that I'm having the classic Gamemaker struggle, but it's tough regardless. When I first volunteered to be the Head Gamemaker, I did not consider the threats of the position. I was simply power-hungry and in desperate need of a good job to impress my parents. I did succeed in both of those aspects- particularly impressing my parents. However, they died shortly after I was given the job, making my efforts pointless.

There are days when I strongly consider quitting. However, what will come of me if I no longer hold the title of Head Gamemaker? What am I supposed to do? And most importantly, I have no idea if I'm allowed to quit. I have no memory of any Gamemaker quitting. Most die unexpectedly and only a few die of old age. No quitters. The job only ends with death.

With a threat lingering over my shoulders, the last thing left for me to do is to improve these Games. Our arena is all picked out and set up, but I still have a few last touches to add. I'm hoping that these will add the extra boost from the last Games- some twists from the Gamemakers. The Capitol won't even know what's coming.

* * *

 **Okay, so I've decided to begin submissions for my next SYOT! I know I'm not done with my last one yet, but I want time to receive submissions so I can begin it as soon as I finish my current story.**

 **Here are the rules for submitting:**

 **1\. Guest submissions are allowed, as are reviewed submissions. However, I prefer PMs - it's easier to sort out.**

 **2\. There's no maximum amount of tributes, although I won't accept too many from one person.**

 **3\. No unbelievable tributes (unbelievable aspects, overpowered, etc.)**

 **4\. No resubmissions. However, you are allowed to resubmit a tribute if the story was DELETED (not discontinued and left up). And if you are resubmitting a tribute, please tell me. It won't change their likelihood of being accepted.**

 **5\. This is not first-come-first-serve. I want to give everyone a chance to submit.**

 **6\. Reservations are unnecessary, and therefore not allowed. Currently, I don't have an end-date. It will definitely be before Flames ends, so I'm guessing about a month or so?**

 **I hope you choose to submit. The form is on my profile.**

 **Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor! :)**

 **\- Lilah**


	2. The Tribute List

I finally have the tribute list for Rapids! Thank you to everyone who submitted. I wasn't able to accept a lot of tributes submitted to me, but I mostly managed to get everyone who submitted at least one tribute. I also had to switch around a LOT of Districts, so don't be surprised if your tribute isn't in their original District. Most tributes aren't.

Also, any tribute who didn't make it in still counts as 50 sponsor points to the submitter. So, if you submitted four tributes and only one of them made it in, you'll still get 200 points.

Thank you for all of the submissions! I won't start this until Flames is finished, though. Things are going really slowly right now, but hopefully after I finish the tedious family interviews, things will get rolling again.

 **District 1:**

Female: Cecelia Hart, 18 - Team Shadow  
Male: Trajan Seth, 18 - Tiger outsider

 **District 2:**

Female: Glitter Monique, 17 - TheNoobyBoy  
Male: Glorian Stafford, 18 - santiago .ponicini20

 **District 3:**

Female: Lennox Porter, 18 - Author-Hime  
Male: Nikola Allegra, 14 - Tyquavis

 **District 4:**

Female: Noelani King, 18 - Author-Hime  
Male: Lucretius Marlo, 17 - santiago .poncnini20

 **District 5:**

Female: Macey, Tracey Aderyn, 18 - LordShiro  
Male: Dennis Fielder, 18 - Team Shadow

 **District 6:**

Female: Tristana Rockett, 16 - Pierana  
Male: Axle Woodleigh, 12 - Tyquavis

 **District 7:**

Female: Zaira Quentin, 16 - Professor R.J Lupin1  
Male: Sprucen Willes, 18 - Anna Banana

 **District 8:**

Female: Linen Baird, 13 - Queenofinsanity  
Male: Felix Camacho, 17 - Pierana

 **District 9:**

Female: Savanna Davison, 13 - Hawkmaid  
Male: Hadley Moreau, 17 - Fairy .Charming

 **District 10:**

Female: Arabella Cantros, 13 - Anna Banana  
Male: Buck Hayford, 18 - lionkingfactsguy3

 **District 11:**

Female: Yael Harident, 17 - Tiger outsider  
Male: Kade Anderson, 17 - MonkeyPower435

 **District 12:**

Female: Rachel Ivy, 15 - CallmeLegend  
Male: Quinten Fredericus, 18 - DMonkey1607


	3. The Escort List

**Escorts:**

 **District 1** \- Astria Mebliss: Astria isn't a very experienced escort, being so young, but she quickly managed to work her way up to District 1. She is always cheerful and is insistent on getting her tributes places on time. She is known for being obsessed with the color pink and is very flirtatious. She normally has a business-like relationship with her tributes, not wanting to get attached to them.

 **District 2 -** Georgia Amaltic: Georgia has just been promoted to District 2 after spending several years in District 5. She's very used to the whole ordeal and has become quite good at her job. She normally wears an orange wig and is very kind to the tributes she escorts. She understands that they'll most likely die, so she uses her time with them as a way to pamper them before their death.

 **District 3** \- Blick Newter: Blick is also an experienced escort. He loves the Hunger Games and tends to be very spontaneous. He doesn't like predictability and often wears vibrant colors. He tends to be very judgemental of his tributes, although if he takes a liking to one, they'll definitely be favored.

 **District 4** \- Tiernan Briastos: Tiernan has been the District 4 escort for quite a while. He loves District 4 and often wears clothes relating to the sea or ocean. He is normally enthusiastic, although he can be charming and romantic if he wants to. He'll be very kind to his tributes and always want to know what they're up to. He can be very emotional and always cries whenever someone dies in the Hunger Games.

 **District 5 -** Phrixos Heywood: Phrixos, despite his intimidating appearance, is a very basic Capitol citizen with a love for fashion, soap operas, and (of course) the Hunger Games. He was previously a stylist, so he knows a thing or two about the Hunger Games process (despite being new to escorting). He typically enjoys his tributes, although he doesn't fool himself into believing that they'll definitely win.

 **District 6** \- Camilla Larke: Camilla has just been promoted to District 6. She hasn't been an escort for very long and is still basking in the prestige of the job. She usually says whatever pops into her head, and doesn't really have a filter. Being quite young, she isn't used to escorting tributes and still gets very upset when they die. She thinks a lot of herself and is very proud of where she's at in her Career.

 **District 7** \- Leon Parshener: Leon is new to District 7. He's been an escort for quite some time. He's a very extravagant person and is very in love with Capitol fashions. He loves to keep up with all of the trends and has been featured in a few Capitol magazines. He tends to wear bright, vibrant clothing which often makes him stick out. He loves his tributes and genuinely believes that every one will win.

 **District 8** \- Akantha Blount: Akantha is a new escort. Despite it being her second year, she is very confident in her abilities. She has no shyness when it comes to the cameras and enjoys each tribute. She has always been obsessed with the Hunger Games - her mother was an escort, and she hopes to carry on her legacy. She likes each of her tributes and tries to have a good relationship with them, although her obliviousness to their lives in the Districts can be insulting.

 **District 9 -** Phoebe Pollock: Phoebe is new to the mentoring game, but really excited to get started. She's very peppy and excitable. She genuinely cares about each tribute she receives, and will do her best to help them out. Phoebe always wears bright colors so she stands out. She's generally a cheerful and likable person.

 **District 10 -** Renee Klaiar: Renee is very tough and doesn't take rudeness lightly. Despite her rich upbringing, she isn't passive at all. If someone bothers her, they'll regret it later. She's been the District 10 escort for a few years and an escort for a few more. She's still a bit new to the Hunger Games, but she's quickly learning the best strategies to help her tributes. When it comes to her tributes, she'll either love them or hate them and they'll be sure to know.

 **District 11 -** Marcellina Dent: Marcellina has always been spoiled because of her upbringing. She grew up in a rich, prestigious family and was always spoiled with gifts. She's new to escorting but is already hoping to be promoted to District 1, like most escorts. She loves the Hunger Games and is very pleased to be a part of them. She generally tries to get along with her tributes, although it's not unlikely that she'll irritate them with her oblivious nature.

 **District 12 -** Antheia Frances: Antheia is one of the newest and the youngest escort this year. She's grown up being obsessed with the Hunger Games, and has always wanted to be part of them. She aspires to be a Gamemaker, but since she's only 19, she's hoping to use her escorting status to boost herself into a job in the Gamemakers' office. Antheia doesn't care much about her tributes, and won't be afraid to tell them so. She has a sharp tongue and doesn't care much about fashion.


	4. Sponsoring Item List

**I still have to update the sponsor list, so your current points aren't correct, but I'm planning on doing that right before I post the Bloodbath, so you'll be able to sponsor your tribute.**

 **Keep in mind that the number of calories per food item is total.**

 **The measurements are American, and not the superior Metric system. I'm American, so I'm just used to these measurements.**

 **The listed items are not the only items available, they're just the most reasonable ones I could think of. Most items are available; rules regarding gifts are at the bottom.**

 **As the Games continue, prices will rise. These prices will be valid until Day 4 at least. I may keep them for longer. If I update this list, I'll warn you guys in the chapter.**

 **PM me if you have any questions.**

 **Food:**

Water Purification Tablets - 75  
Small Water Bottle (12 oz) - 12  
Medium Water Bottle (40 oz) - 40  
Jug of Water (128 oz) - 128

Pack of Dry Fruit (300 calories) - 15  
Bag of 3 Apples (300 calories) - 15  
Loaf of Bread (1400 calories) - 70  
Pack of Beef Jerky (1800 calories) - 90  
Pack of 6 Protein Bars (3000 calories) - 150

Small Meal (around 500 calories) - 25  
Medium Meal (around 1200 calories) - 60  
Large Meal (around 2000 calories) - 100

Nonlisted items:  
Water: 1 oz = 1 point.  
Food: Number of Calories divided by 20 = Number of points.  
Other: PM me for the exact price.

 **Survival**

Hat (warm) - 30  
Scarf (warm) - 30  
Shirt (arena outfit) - 20  
Jacket (warm) - 50  
Jacket (rain) - 30  
Pants (arena outfit) - 30  
Socks (warm) - 10  
Shoes (arena outfit) - 30

Helmet (metal) - 50  
Chestplate (leather) - 50  
Chestplate (metal) - 100  
Full-Body Armour (leather) - 125  
Full-Body Armour (metal) - 200

Rope (5 ft) - 5  
Rope (15 ft) - 15  
Rope (30 ft) - 30  
Wire (5 ft) - 5  
Wire (15 ft) - 15  
Wire (30 ft) - 30  
Small Screwdriver - 20  
Pliers - 20  
Work Hammer - 20  
Pack of 10 Nails - 10  
Pack of 10 Screws - 10  
Net - 50  
Toolkit (15 ft wire, screwdriver, pliers, hammer, 20 nails/screws) - 75

Can of Fishing Bait (3 oz) - 10  
Fishing Pole - 100

Pack of 20 Matches - 20  
Sleeping Bag - 125  
Small Tent (1 person) - 120  
Medium Tent (3 people) - 160  
Large Tent (6 people) - 220

Nonlisted items:  
Rope/Wire: 1 ft = 1 point.  
Other: PM me for price.

 **Health**

Bandage - 10  
Pack of 5 Bandages - 50  
Rubbing Alcohol - 25  
Needle and String - 25  
Splint - 50

Bottle of Pain Killers (20 tablets) - 200  
Burn Medication - 200  
Quick-Healing Medication - 300  
Poison Antidote - 300

First-Aid Kit (5 bandages, rubbing alcohol, needle and string, bottle of 5 painkillers) - 100

Nonlisted items:  
Bandages: 1 bandage = 10 points.  
Pain Killers: 1 tablet = 10 points.  
Other: PM me for price.

 **Weapons**

Knife (serrated) - 25  
Club - 25  
Dagger - 50  
Staff - 50  
Spiked Mace - 75  
Pickaxe - 100  
Spear - 100  
Trident - 125  
Scythe - 125  
Sickle - 125  
Battle Axe - 125  
Sword - 125

Slingshot - 25  
Blowgun - 30  
Pack of 10 Darts (Blowgun) - 10  
Pack of 10 Darts (hand-thrown) - 20  
Bow - 50  
Quiver of 10 Arrows - 20  
Crossbow - 75  
Pack of 10 Crossbow Bolts - 30  
Throwing Knife - 10  
Vest of 12 Throwing Knives - 100  
Throwing Axe - 75

Small Bomb (3 yards around bomb) - 50  
Medium Bomb (5 yards around bomb) - 100  
Large Bomb (15 yards around bomb) - 150  
Blowtorch - 125

Vial of Blue Poison (makes someone weak for a short period of time) - 25  
Vial of Green Poison (kills someone after 24 hours) - 75  
Vial of Yellow Poison (kills someone immediately) - 125  
Pack of Poison (blue, green, yellow) - 200

Small Muttation - 200  
Large Muttation - 300

Nonlisted items:  
Darts: 1 dart = 1 point  
Arrows: 1 arrow = 2 points  
Bolts: 1 bolt = 3 points  
Other: PM me for price.

 **Sponsoring Form**

Tribute:

Item(s):

Price:

Message (optional): Something from you to your tribute (as a sponsor). If you leave this blank, the message will be from the mentor.

Details (optional): This is required for unspecific items, such as meals or muttations.

 **Rules for sponsoring:**

 **1\. You must have reviewed at least five times.**

 **2\. If you are able to PM me the form, please do so. If not, just write it in the reviews.**

 **3\. You do not need to have submitted a tribute.**

 **4\. You are not allowed to send a tribute something to harm them (for example, sending a mutt to a tribute that would kill them the minute they open the package).**

 **5\. No overpowered weapons or impossible gifts such as guns, medicine that makes them invincible, or a way to escape to escape the arena.**

 **\- Lilah**


	5. Estella Blake I

**District 1**

 **Estella Blake**

 _ **Victor of the 182nd Hunger Games**_

* * *

I sit at my table, slowing sipping the herbal tea Grey prepared for me. I typically need to drink some sort of tea to dull the aching of my joints in the morning, and Grey's kind enough to make it for me. He's tried to convince me to just use the Capitol-made medicine so many times, but I've always refused. I only trust my own concoctions, not the unnaturally colored Capitol stuff.

At the time of my Victory, I probably would have been fine swallowing anything the Capitol gave me, but I no longer trust anything with names I can't pronounce. Grey always says I'm being ridiculous, but I stick to my decisions.

I slowly set down my cup and stand up. Grey immediately notices this and rushes over to help me, but I wave him off.

"I'm eighty-four years old, Grey, not a mummy." Grey nods but still looks nervous as I make my way across the kitchen with the mug in my hands.

Grey's my grandson. He finds the compulsion to stay at my beck-and-call almost constantly, which begins to get a bit annoying. He continuously assures me that he doesn't have anything else to do, but I'm worried that his attention isn't allowing him to have his own life. He doesn't have a girlfriend or a job, or any hobbies besides taking care of me.

I always try to persuade him to take up some kind of skill, such as painting or music, but he is very critical of himself and refuses to do it if he doesn't exceed immediately. Which I think is a very stupid philosophy.

"I have to get to the training center soon. They're announcing this year's designated volunteers at noon."

"I still think they shouldn't make you mentor when you're this old," Grey says, nervously biting his nail.

"It's fine," I assure him, "I enjoy mentoring children. And don't bite your nails." Grey immediately stops.

"Even if you like mentoring, it can be dangerous. With the stress and all…"

"Gray, once again, I am not _that_ fragile. Talking to some children isn't dangerous," I point out. Grey shrugs and drops the subject. "I really did like the Victor of last year, even if they weren't from District One."

"Yeah, they really deserved the win," Grey says, perking up.

"I just hope they're coping well with the Victory… they'll have to mentor this year, as well. That can be stressful for a lot of new Victors. I would help them out, but I'm sure someone else will."

"Shouldn't you focus on your own tribute?" Grey asks.

"Of course," I say, shrugging him off. "But it doesn't hurt to help a new Victor. You may not understand, but us Victors have to support each other. We've all been through a lot."

"Still, you should try to help whoever you're mentoring to the best of your ability. I know that my friend Luka is up for the position of the designated Volunteer. I'd really like him to make it back. Do you know if you're mentoring the male or female, yet?" Grey asks. I shake my head.

"Not until we know who the designated Volunteer is. I'm guessing female, though. That's how it tends to work."

"That's too bad. I know Luka would do really well under your tutelage."

Grey stands up and begins clearing his plate. He consumed a whole farm for breakfast this morning, unlike me. He quickly dunks all of his eating utensils and plates in the sink and runs a bit of water over them. Apparently, he'll clean them later because they have to 'soak'.

"We need to go to the training center about now," I point out, gathering my coat from a hook on the wall. District One is deceptively cold around this time of year. Grey nods and follows after me, sliding a jacket on and zipping it up.

We exit the giant Victor's Village house, ready to find out who I'll be mentoring this year.

With eight successful mentorships on my record, I'm preparing for this to be the ninth. I don't slack when it comes to helping my tributes, despite what a lot of people think. I do the best I can, and it generally pays off.

After all, how many other Victors can claim the same number of Victories?


	6. District 1 Reaping: Wolves

**I wanted to start on the Reapings before finishing the epilogues for Flames. Enjoy Trajan Seth and Cecelia Hart, courtesy of Tiger outsider and Team Shadow!**

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

In life, there's only the wolves and the sheep.

The sheep are the majority of people, going about their daily lives with a false sense of independence and believing that _they_ are the ones making the decisions. Unbeknownst to them, the wolves are hovering outside of the pen, controlling everything they do.

The wolves are unafraid to kill. They won't hesitate to slaughter a sheep. The wolves are the smart ones. The honorable ones. They don't wait around for the inevitable deaths. They _make_ the deaths.

I am a wolf. I believe that the sheep must be filtered from the wolves and slaughtered. That's why I plan on volunteering for the Hunger Games. I'm volunteering for the task of filtering the wolves from the sheep, and slaughtering any of the sheep.

Unfortunately, I do not train with the academy and am thus not the chosen Volunteer. Some other boy was chosen. I'm sure he has no intention of finding the sheep. He's probably blinded by the promises of jewels and fame that comes with a Victor and doesn't understand the true purpose of the Hunger Games. He'll kill everyone. He won't give the wolves the honor they deserve, he'll treat them the same as the sheep. That's not what should happen.

The boy's name is something stupid - Gleam Clash. He's a sheep, and I must eliminate the sheep from the running.

I always wake up early. I am a very light sleeper, almost partly awake when I'm sleeping. I've decided to eliminate the sheep a few hours before the Reaping - it won't be enough time for the academy to appoint a new volunteer, which means it will be a free-for-all. Maybe they won't even notice his absence, and I'll be the only person daring to Volunteer.

Uncle Nero and I live in the outskirts of District 1. My parents own a large house in the center of the District, but I refuse to live with sheep. I will only live with people I respect, wolves, and Uncle Nero is a wolf.

Uncle Nero knows I am going to eliminate the sheep this morning, but has requested that I don't wake him. Looking over my clock, I realize that it's 4 AM. That should be enough time. I stand up and tiptoe over to my closet. I won't wear my Reaping clothes when eliminating the sheep, because I don't want to ruin them. I'll just wear casual clothing.

I pull on dark denim pants and a black sweatshirt. I pull the hood over my face and tighten the strings, so no one will be able to see me unless they're close. And if they're close enough to see the whites of my eyes, they're already dead.

I walk with light feet out of my room and through the small house, careful not to wake Uncle Nero. He too's a light sleeper, and gets very grumpy when awaken. I open the front door and breathe in the crisp early morning air. It's normally pretty cool in the mornings in District 1, and today is no different. I shove my hands into my jeans pockets to warm them up as I begin my walk down the street.

After watching the sheep for a few days, I've learned that he likes to train at the academy in the early morning - conveniently, when no one's there. Based on my previous observations, the sheep should be training by himself at the academy around this time. If for some reason he isn't, I'll just pop by his house.

The jog to the training center is long, but I don't tire easily, so I maintain a steady pace the enter time. I reach the training center at about 4:30 (I checked my expensive watch my mother bought me when trying to convince me to move back to their place). The training center looks dark, since it's not actually open yet. I heard that the only people allowed to train anytime are the chosen Volunteers.

I try to open the front door, but as I suspected, it's locked. I stroll the perimeter of the building, looking for another possible entrance. I find two more doors, but they're both locked.

I come back around to the front door without finding any open doors. I guess they're all locked and I'll have to try a window.

I move to the back of the building, so no one will see me when I climb inside. I find a window that's opened, which makes things pretty easy. It's a few feet higher than I am, so I have to jump up and grab the ledge to pull myself up. I'm pretty strong, though, so it isn't very difficult.

I swing one leg over and drop into the gym. I look around and notice that the lights are turned out. It's not completely dark, since the window lets in light, so I'm able to recognize this as a locker room of sorts and shuffle over to a door. As I do, I pull the switchblade out of my pocket. I guess I could use one of the many weapons supplied in this space, but I like to have a certain feel for a weapon that I use, and a switchblade can function just as well as a sword or spear can. Maybe it's much shorter, but I have enough skill with a switchblade that I'll be able to use it just the same.

I open the door carefully, expecting it to creak or something, but the door stays silent. I walk lightly along the floor, _extremely_ careful not to make noise. Any noise made in here will echo a lot. I can already hear the sheep practicing, although I can't see him yet.

He grunts and yells and I hear the familiar sounds of a sword hitting a dummy. I peek around the corner and there he is, practicing with no knowledge of my being here or what is about to transpire. He keeps prancing around the dummy, which sucks, because I can't sneak up on him. I suppose I could make him aware of my whereabouts?

But that might foil my plan… I instead I retrace my steps until I've reached a station with a bunch of spears. I grab one and move back to my space where I can see the sheep.

When his back is turned, I catapult the spear in his direction. I'm not great with throwing spears, but luckily I don't have to be for this plan. The spear misses (as I expected) and hits the wall with a loud crash. The moment the sheep looks at it, I charge at him with my knife poised. He turns around, but not fast enough to recognize what's going on. I stab him between the eyes once. He doesn't even fall to the ground before I slit his throat with another stroke.

He falls to the ground, immediately dead.

"Bye, bye, sheep," I whisper.

Now that he's dead, I can Volunteer for the Hunger Games and win them. I'll separate the sheep from the wolves, and treat them accordingly. There's nothing standing in my way.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

I have no idea why I'm so nervous. I've been waiting for this moment for years; the day when I can finally Volunteer and escape my father.

It's not like I'm considering the possibility of chickening out and not Volunteering - that has never been an option for me. If I don't Volunteer, I won't be able to give my mom and sister a good life. Everything's kind of depending on me right now. I know that my Volunteering's inevitable, but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to be a little nervous, right?

I bite my lip nervously as I sit in front of the mirror, combing my blonde hair carefully. I wish I could just put it up in a ponytail, but Mom and I compromised - if I were my hair down, she wouldn't force me to wear makeup. I guess having my hair down is better than having my face caked in cosmetics.

"Cecelia, it's almost time to go!" Mom yells up at me. I check my watch and I realize that she's right.

"Okay!" I respond, and begin putting on my shoes, silver high-heels (which were Mom's suggestion, again). I must be taking too long, because my father gives me a quick reminder of the time, although it doesn't sound as nice as Mom's.

"Cecelia, get your butt down here, NOW!" he bellows.

"Okay!" I repeat, rolling my eyes. With my shoes fully on, I begin to wobble out of the room, praying that I don't twist an ankle right before going into the Games. I'm not used to walking in high heels, so I'm struggling a bit. Hopefully, I'll get used to it enough so I won't seem drunk walking up to the stage after Volunteering.

"Ce-" my father begins to shout again, but then he sees me making my way downstairs and pauses. I move very slowly, my shoes greatly slowing me down. I don't want to fall, so I hold onto the railing for dear life. I can see my entire family getting a little agitated at how long I take, but I seriously can't move any faster.

Finally, my father gets fed up.

"Cecelia, if you can't move any faster, take off your freaking shoes because we have to go!" he shouts. Normally, I try not to do what he says out of basic principle, but I don't want to be late to the Reaping, so I comply with his demands. I pause for a minute to slip off my shoes and sprint towards the bottom. "Finally," my father mutters. I feel tempted to talk back to him, but hold my tongue. I really don't want to start a fight with him before the Reaping.

"Come on, let's go ahead," I suggest to Lya, my twin sister. She nods in agreement, so we run up ahead of our parents, me still holding my shoes in one hand.

Lya is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. She always does her best to make people happy, even if it isn't great for herself. Which is why I'm determined to Volunteer. I need to win a better life for Mom and me, but especially Lya. My father's an awful guy that no one deserves, but especially not Lya.

Father thinks that I'm Volunteering for the reasons most Careers Volunteer - fame and honor. The riches are always an added bonus, but for most Careers, it's about fame and honor.

Instead, I'm Volunteering for escape. Escape for me, Lya, and Mom.

Lya and I reach the check-in way before Mom and my father, who I assume walked. The lines aren't very long, since most kids are already inside the pen. Lya and I take our place in line, behind a few people, but they recognize me as the chosen Volunteer. They step aside, and gesture me ahead.

I try to refuse, but they insist. I'm not exactly one who'll pass up the opportunity to skip a line, so I give in and walk up to the Peacekeeper. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, so I don't even wince when she pricks me with the needle. The Peacekeeper opens a booklet of sorts and presses my bloody finger onto a page. She scans it, and I hear a robotic voice confirming me as "Cecelia Hart".

She waves me through, and I begin to walk into the pen, but a handsome boy stops me.

"You should probably put your shoes on," he says. I look down and realize that my hand is still holding my high heels and I'm barefoot.

"Oh, right. Thanks," I say as I pull on my shoes.

"You're really beautiful," the guy says as soon as my shoes are on. "If you weren't just about to go into the Games, I'd ask you out."

I'm not sure what to say to that, so I just say, "thanks," and walk as fast as I can toward the eighteen-year-olds section. Luckily, I manage to not trip on my way there. That would have been incredibly embarrassing, especially since I think the cameras are already rolling. The eighteen-year-old section is packed, so I have to squeeze my way in. I stay close to the aisle, though, so I won't have to go very far to get to the stage.

A lot of people recognize me as the Volunteer. A few people congratulate me, but most just give me jealous looks. The female Volunteer is always a very desired position, but only one ends up getting it each year. Sometimes, even if you do get it, some deluded child decides to Volunteer anyway (like Flora, from last year) and the Volunteer gets cheated out of her position. That better not happen to me. I _need_ this.

It's not long before our escort, Astria Mebliss, walks out onto the stage, sporting a bubble-gum pink wig and a fluffy white dress that reminds me of a cloud. Her makeup is caked on, and I'm not going to lie, it's pretty scary. She smiles with her usual peppy attitude and hops over to the microphone.

"Welcome, District 1, to the Reaping for the 248th Annual Hunger Games! I'm really excited to see who'll be our tributes this year. I'm sensing a Volunteer… I wish we could just get straight into choosing the names, but first, we have a video to watch!" Astria turns around to face the giant screen behind her.

The video starts, and I feel everyone let out a collective groan. It's the same video as every year. Each year, we all hope that they'll change it to something a little more interesting, but it never happens.

I think everyone zones out as our President talks about how terrible the war was and the creation of the Hunger Games. The video's duration probably is only about five minutes, but it feels like hours.

The video finally ends, and Astria turns back around. She's trying to keep a pleasant smile, but it's clear that the video bored her to death. I notice a few girls next to me trying to contain their giggles.

"Now, let's go over our living Victors!" Astria begins listing off our living Victors. We have a bit more than ten, so the only ones I pay attention to are this year's mentors. The female mentor, who I assume will be mine, is Estella Blake. She's pretty old, but has a good reputation for bringing tributes home, which is a good sign for me.

I don't really care about Gleam, who'll be my District partner. He seems just like Garnet, last year. Not very capable, but strong and very arrogant. His mentor will be Nereus Copeland. He's sadly one of our more recent Victors (sadly, because he won the 228th Hunger Games). Nereus is pretty smart, but hasn't brought any tributes home, yet.

Astria finishes with our most recent Victor, Tiara Palace (a really unfortunate name in my opinion, but it's better than some names in District 1).

"Now, for the moment we've all been waiting for, the drawing of the names!" Astria doesn't waste any time trying to build anticipation, because we all know that someone will Volunteer. Astria, as usual, starts with the girls. She plucks a name from the top of the bowl, and makes her way back over to the microphone.

"Genevieve Florence!" Astria reads. Nobody moves, knowing that I'll Volunteer in a moment. "Are there any Volunteers?"

"I Volunteer as tribute!" I announce, stepping into the aisle. Nobody gasps or whatever, it's not very surprising. I make my way up to the stage and take my place next to Astria.

"What's your name?" Astria asks, holding the microphone in front of my mouth.

"Cecelia Hart," I announce. I hear a flew claps coming from the front of the crowd. Of course, it's Lya and my friend, Weiss. They both cheer and clap, seemingly oblivious to the odd looks everyone's giving them. I'm a bit embarrassed, but glad to have such supportive friends.

"Now for the boys!" Astria says, and draws a random slip of paper. She walks back toward me and reads the name aloud immediately. "Caius Venner!"

Now's the time when Gleam will Volunteer. Except, there's nothing but silence from the boys' section. After a minute of no Volunteers, a shocked boy from the fourteen-year-olds begins to make his way up through the aisle.

"I Volunteer," somebody finally says in almost a bored tone. The guy emerges from the eighteen-year-olds, and I'm a little surprised to see that it isn't Gleam. What happened to Gleam? Did he chicken out? "I'm Trajan Seth, and I'm going to be the next Victor," the boy says before Astria even asks his name.

Trajan looks very strong and powerful, which is a little intimidating. I've been preparing for someone like Gleam, who's an idiot. I know nothing about this boy, though.

"Shake hands," Astria says, smiling. She's clearly not picking up on how confused everyone is. She doesn't know who the Volunteers were supposed to be, she's just relieved she didn't get stuck with another fourteen-year-old. I reach out and shake Trajan's calloused hand. I can tell that he's trained, since his hand feels strong and used.

"Give a round of applause for your tributes for the 248th Hunger Games: Cecelia Hart and Trajan Seth!" the crowd claps politely, but I can tell they're still puzzling over who this boy is. I don't even recognize him.

Who is Trajan Seth? That's a question I need to be answered before he tries to kill me.

* * *

 **Sorry if this wasn't great. I struggled with some parts, but it was fun to write. Don't forget to review! Reviews = Life for your tribute.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What did you think of Trajan?**

 **2\. What did you think of Cecelia?**

 **3\. Who did you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will make it farther?**

 **5\. What is your favorite color? (Mine's blue)**

 **\- Lilah**


	7. District 2 Reaping: Bitterness

**Thanks to 20 for Glorian and TheNoobyBoy for Glitter!**

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

 ***five years prior***

" _How did you do that?" the young kid asks, staring at the deck of cards in awe._

" _A magician never reveals his secret," I wink, and slide the kid's card back into the deck. If I was answering his question honestly… sleight of hand and distractions. Every detail needs to be perfect, otherwise, it won't work. Luckily, years of performing magic on the streets have trained my hands into completing each precise pattern._

 _I hold out my hat expectantly. The kid looks frustrated and mumbles something unintelligible._

" _Hey, you agreed! If I correctly guessed your card, you'd have to pay up!" I remind him. The kid grumbles, but fishing a few tarnished coins out of his pocket and tosses them into the hat. "Thanks!" I shout as the kid gallops away, but I doubt he heard me. He's probably too upset he lost his precious pocket money._

 _Well, deal with it kid. I need this for_ food.

" _Hey, Glor." I turn around and see my friend, Gonzalo, standing behind me. His wavy blond hair is tied up in a ponytail and his deep, beautiful gray eyes… what was I saying?_

" _Hi, Gonzalo," I say. "How much money did you make today?"_

" _Um…" Gonzalo fishes around in his pockets and brings out a handful of coins. He quickly counts through them, and I see his brow furrow in concentration. "40 petals," he decides. I look at my own hand. "How much do you have?"_

" _10," I mumble, slightly embarrassed. Gonzalo laughs, but it doesn't seem to be at me._

" _That's not bad," he assures me. I shake my head._

" _That isn't even enough to buy the butcher's rotten meat!" I complain._

" _Well, who wants that stuff, anyway?" Gonzalo asks. "We can just pool our money and split a loaf of bread or something."_

" _Really?" I ask, surprised._

" _Of course," Gonzalo says. "We're practically…" he struggles to think of the next word. "Brothers." I wince, but he doesn't seem to notice._ Brothers… _even worse than the friend zone._

" _Okay," I say, hoping he won't sense the obvious disappointment in my voice. He doesn't seem to. "We'll get the bread after meeting up with everyone else. I think they're in Town Square."_

" _Town Square," Gonzalo considers. "Very inconspicuous."_

" _Why should we be? We're not exactly breaking the law or anything."_

" _Technically, we're supposed to be in the orphanage. It's actually illegal for a group of child orphans to be living on the street."_

" _Well, that's a stupid rule," I say, confidently. "And one I was not aware of," I say under my breath. Gonzalo laughs._

" _It is stupid. I don't think it's enforced, though, so none of us are getting sent to the orphanage any time soon."_

 _As we walked toward Town Square, we chatted about a bunch of random stuff we only talked about because we had discussed everything else. That's what it seemed like to Gonzalo and me: we had known each other for so long, it felt like we had discussed any possible thing worth discussing… and several things_ not _worth discussing. We knew each other from top to bottom, and were practically joined at the hip._

 _When I was just a baby, both of my parents died. I don't know how or who they are. Maybe they aren't actually dead and just hated me or didn't want the responsibility. Anyway, they dropped me off at the orphanage. I grew up there, knowing most of the boys I do, today. We were always a close group, often complaining about the poor living conditions of the orphanage._

 _When we were seven, we all ran away. We had plotted this great escape, but it turns out it wasn't necessary. Nobody seemed to care we were living. It was just a few less mouths to feed._

 _We couldn't exactly get jobs, so we began to practice magic on the street in exchange for money. At first, we were awful. With some perseverance and practice, though, we got much better. Now we come up with a considerable sum of money at the end of the day; it's not enough to get a house or nice things, but we are able to afford food and blankets and stuff like that, on occasion._

" _There they are!" Gonzalo exclaims, and points to a circle of kids in the center of Town Square. Gonzalo and I both push past people to get to them, excitedly bumping into them. I hear a few people complain about "rowdy kids" but that's it._

 _We join the group, who are deep in conversation. There's seven of us total, and we've all gotten pretty close over the years._

" _What are we talking about?" Gonzalo asks, sensing the aura of excitement in the group. Astor, who's sort of the leader of our little group, turns to us and begins to fill us in on the plan. His eyes are bright and scheming._

" _We're going to rob a Victor's house!" he exclaims in a hushed voice. My jaw drops open. A Victor? A lot of us have stolen stuff before, but only pickpocketing people on the streets. We've never broken into a home, much less one owned by an important public figure._

" _Really?" I ask. "That seems dangerous…"_

" _It'll be fine!" Astor insists. "I've thought this through! And afterwards, we'll have a_ lot _of money."_

" _We'll be safe," Gonzalo assures me._

" _I suppose," I say._

I wake up in a cold sweat. The memory of the moment still recurs constantly in my dreams.

I should never have agreed.

Less than twelve hours after agreeing to rob a Victor's house, all of my friends were dead and I was all alone.

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glitter Monique**

* * *

We've lived in District 2 all of my life, and yet my parents still insist on acting like we live in District 1.

I have no idea why. As long as I can remember, my mom has always raved over the riches and perfection of the first District. She's always trying to convince us to move there, which we probably would have, if transferring Districts was way more common. Mom even tried to convince Dad to get a job as a Peacekeeper, _just_ so that we might get transferred to one.

Luckily for me, Dad wasn't able to get a job. Mom finally convinced him to apply, and he was immediately turned down. They said he "lacked a fighting spirit", which I think was a fair analysis. Both Mom and Dad seem to be more focused on beauty than fighting. It's one of our largest differences, and we have a lot.

I also hate District 1. Something about having a District you don't even live in being shoved down your throat your entire life really makes you dislike it.

Even my name reflects my parents' love of District 1. Most people in my District scoff when we watch the Hunger Games and see a female tribute have a stupid name. But my Mom will always gush over it. We'll be watching the Hunger Games (my favorite part of the year) and a girl tribute will have a name like… Blush.

I scoff. The other tributes scoff. Everyone in our _entire District_ scoffs. Mom goes, "Blush! What a lovely name!"

I roll my eyes at the memory of that one Game as the line slowly crawls forward. I tap my foot impatiently. I need to check in and get into this pen. I'm Volunteering today!

Of course, I came here at the time everyone else did. It's really unfortunate, because this means I have to wait in this super long line just for someone to stab me with a needle. I think it's a stupid process. Surely there's some other way to check us in rather than _stabbing_ us?

I finally reach the front of the line. The Peacekeeper doesn't even ask for my hand, just waves me over. I sigh and reluctantly give her my hand. I wince as she pricks me, drawing a bead of blood to my fingertip. That was a tough process. I kind of have a phobia of needles, so I hate having to do this every year. Luckily, this will be my last. After I win, I won't have to attend another Reaping.

The Peacekeeper presses my bloody finger into a booklet and quick scans it.

"Glitter Monique," the machine states in a robotic voice. (Well, duh, it's a robot, Glitter). I swear, I think the Peacekeepers chuckled a bit after hearing my name.

"I didn't choose my name," I remind her, but she doesn't seem to care about anything I have to say. She waves me past. I sigh and brush past her, into the penned-in area. I squeeze through the many people crowding the aisle until I reach the seventeen-year-old section. There, I push my way in.

"Hey!" a girl shouts as I push past her in order to get to the middle of the section.

"I'm Volunteering, today," I tell her.

"I don't care," she mumbles, but she doesn't dare pick a fight with me. I smirk. Nobody's going to dare mess with the chosen Volunteer. That officially means I'm the most powerful female in the District. Maybe out of everyone, not just females. I don't know the male Volunteer, Glorian Stafford, well. He seems powerful, but I doubt there are any brains behind that brawny exterior.

I stand in place as I wait for our escort to take the stage. Elissa Wenthall was fired last year, which means we have a completely new escort. I heard it was previously the escort from District 5, but there's no way of knowing.

I can see her on stage, but I have no idea what the District 5 escort looked like last year. I guess I'll find out when she introduces herself, because new escorts always like to brag about how far they've come.

A few more people file in before we can finally begin. The escort pops over to the stage wearing an orange wig.

"Welcome to the District 2 Reaping for the 248th Annual Hunger Games! My name is Georgia Amalatic. Last year, I was the escorting for District 5, so this is a big step for me. I'm really excited to be escorting you guys." Yep, she's District 5's former escort. "I wish we could just get straight into finding out who the tributes will be, but first we have to watch the video and go over your previous winners."

I completely tune out as the escort (I already forgot her name) presents the video and lists all of our living Victors. We have a lot, I think the most out of every District. Next year, during the Reaping for the 249th Hunger Games we'll have one more: me.

Finally, Georgia finishes up with all of the tedious tasks no one cares about and announces that she'll now be drawing the names.

She must be used to whoever name she draws is the tribute, because she does the whole tactic of building suspense. She waves her hand over the bowl, and seems to be deep in thought when deciding on a slip of paper. In District 2, we all know that whoever's on that sheet won't end up being the tribute, so this only builds boredom.

She brings the slip of paper over to the microphone.

"Bellona Jasper," she reads.

"I Volunteer as tribute!" I shout and push my way to the front of the crowd. No one looks surprised, save for Georgia, who's clearly reveling in having a Volunteer for once.

"What's your name?" she asks me.

"Glitter Monique," I practically spit out. I hear some giggles in the crowd, and send a death glare in their direction.

"Excellent!" Georgia says. "Do you think you'll win?"

"100%." Georgia looks pleased, probably guessing that I have a high chance of winning. Which I do, but higher than she could possibly imagine.

"Now let's see who your District partner will be!" she says. She walks across the stage toward the male's bowl and doesn't waste any time when drawing a name. She returns to the microphone and reads out; "Nero Co -"

"I Volunteer as tribute!" Glorian Stafford shouts before Georgia can even finish reading the slip of paper. He struts over from the eighteen-year-old section. Since he was standing at the front, he barely needs to walk to get to the stage. He takes his place next to Georgia.

"What's your name?"

"Glorian Stafford?"

"Do you think you can win?"

"Would I have Volunteered if I didn't?" Georgia grins at his response, then turns back to the crowd.

"May I present your tributes for the 248th Annual Hunger Games: Glitter Monique and Glorian Stafford!" The crowd cheers, and I reluctantly shake Glorian's hand.

We're enemies, now. I don't want to have any contact with a guy I may have to kill in the arena.

* * *

 **Here's the District 2 Reaping! Sorry if this was crappy; I was tired when I wrote this, but wanted to write it anyway. I probably won't be able to do a lot of writing during the week, but luckily I did a lot this weekend. :)**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What did you think of Glorian?**

 **2\. What did you think of Glitter?**

 **3\. Who did you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will do better?**

 **5\. What's your favorite book/series? (Mine has to be Harry Potter. It was such a big part of my childhood. And the Hunger Games, of course)**

 **\- Lilah**


	8. District 3 Reaping: Sacrifice

**I'm already getting sick of the Reapings :D. They're so mundane compared to the chapters I've been writing the last few months. Lennox is from Author-Hime and Nikola is from Tyquavis.**

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Nikola Allegra**

* * *

My hands fly around, molding and twisting the wires together. I stick out the tip of my tongue in concentration. It's one of the things Thomas makes fun of me about, although he makes fun of a lot of things about me, so I've learned not to really listen to him.

I feel a small spark as I touch the tip of the wire. I wince and my hand jolts back. I shake off the temporary pain and get back to work. I want to finish this before…

The door slowly creaks open. I desperately slam off the light next to my bed and duck under the covers, hiding my wires and tools underneath me. The screwdriver pokes into my hip, which is mildly uncomfortable, but I try not to move, mimicking sleep. I hear footsteps walk toward the side of my bed, and I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to seem asleep.

"Nikola, I know you're awake," Mom says. I peek my eyes open and glance up at her. She frowns down at me, looking a little upset. I sit up, and the blanket falls off of me, revealing my project and tools. Mom sees them and sighs. "Nikola, how many times do I have to tell you? You need sleep - you can't spend all night working on your inventions."

While she speaks, Mom picks up all of my inventing stuff and dumps it across the room, on my desk.

"Sorry," I mumble, even though I'm not really sorry. "I just couldn't sleep, and I wanted to finish my invention before Chip -"

"Nikola, you need sleep!" she insists. "Especially today. It's the Reaping, and I don't want you exhausted."

"That's why I couldn't sleep!" I say. "I was afraid I was going to be Reaped."

"Honey, you won't be Reaped. We have plenty of citizens in District 3, and your name is only in there three times. I'm just worried that you'll fall asleep while the escort is talking and we'll get in trouble with the Peacekeepers."

"The escort's speech _is_ pretty boring," I smirk. Mom sighs.

"You know that isn't what I meant." Mom checks her watch. "It's only 5 AM, Nik!" she realizes. "But since you're already up, why don't you begin getting ready?"

"It's only 5 AM!" I argue. Mom raises an eyebrow.

"You clearly don't care about sleep. If you're going to be up early, you'd better use the time to make yourself as presentable as possible," she says.

"Fine," I grumble, and swing my legs over the side of the bed. Mom looks satisfied at seeing me get up, and leaves.

I don't want to get ready, especially at this time, but I did promise Mom that I would, so I reluctantly get up and walk toward the bathroom. While I'm walking there, I begin to strip down. Nobody else is up yet, so I should be fine.

I throw off the wrinkled t-shirt in the hallway. I'm sure Mom will give me grief about it later, but she's the one who made me take a shower at 5 AM, so she can deal with it. I only strip off my pants when I reach the bathroom and the door is closed. Despite it being 5 AM, I don't want to be stark naked in the hallways in the unlikely odds that one of my family members happen to wander out.

We're about middle-class in District 3, so we have access to water and showers and stuff, even though it's never really hot. I turn on the water and don't waste any time stepping in. I've learned to take short showers, since I don't want to jack up the water bill. Mom and Dad used to get super mad when I took long showers and wasted the water.

I grab the bar of soap off a little ledge and begin scrubbing myself down. I especially spend time scrubbing my curly brown hair, since it seems to attract a ton of dirt. I take a deep breath as my heartbeat begins to speed up.

Today is the Reaping… I've only attended two so far, but in my experience, they're nerve-wracking experiences that are never happy. I know that statistically, there is only a microscopic chance of me being chosen, but I'm still terrified. Because it _could_ happen, and it happens to someone every year. Why couldn't it be me?

District 3 has one of the highest populations in the Districts, besides 11, so that also decreases my odds of being chosen. I'm also only 14, so I'm not nearly as in danger as the older kids. Those are all the things Mom, Dad, and my best friend, Chip, say to me to reassure me that I won't be chosen. None of them seem to ease my worries, though.

I hear hammering at the door and I jump. I quickly scrub all of the bubbles out of my hair and turn off the water. I wrap a towel around my waist, and look out the door. Thomas stops his thumping and glares down at me.

"What took you so long?" he demands, angrily.

"I, I was in the sh-shower," I stutter, confused. Why is he so upset?

"Well, obviously. But you were in the shower for fifteen minutes! Don't you realize what a waste of water that is?" he asks.

"That was fifteen minutes?" I ask, astounded. Thomas nods like I'm an idiot.

"Yes, you just jacked up the water bill! Dad's going to be furious. Don't you know we're struggling as it is?"

"Well, yeah…"

"I even had to take out tesserae this year!" Thomas exclaims, and I fall silent.

"You had to take out tesserae?" I ask, quietly. I remember a month ago when Thomas brought home some grain and oil. We had all eaten it excitedly, under the belief that Thomas had traded for it with my old clothes at the market. That's what he told us. I'm only now realizing how he actually got it.

"Yes!" he says. "Now let me take a shower. I'm meeting Amber before the Reaping." I feel a smile creeping up my face.

"Your girlfriend?" I ask, teasingly.

"Shut up," Thomas growls and pushes me into the hall, but he's blushing. He slams the door in my face. A minute later, I hear the water begin to run.

I walk back toward my room, feeling a little guilty. Not about the whole girlfriend thing - I'm entitled to a little teasing, aren't I? After all, Thomas makes fun of me all the time. But the whole tesserae thing… Maybe I shouldn't have been scared about _me_ being Reaped. Thomas is seventeen, which means he already had double the amount of slips in the bowl.

And he also took out tesserae, as well. Which _I_ feasted on. Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned for myself. If any Allegra were to be Reaped, wouldn't it be Thomas?

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

"Come on, Ada," I whisper as we walk through the crowded streets of District 3. "Don't lose track of Mommy." Ada nods and shuffles along, clutching tightly to my hand. She has always been a little nervous of crowds, especially since she's begun to notice how they all stare at us. I tell her that it's just her wild imagination, but it's not. They all gossip about us.

One day she'll figure out that they really are staring at us when we pass, but I prefer for that day to come later rather than sooner. I don't want Ada becoming paranoid or something, like I am.

Maybe I should clear some stuff up: Ada's not my daughter. I know I referred to myself as "Mommy", but that's only because I'm basically her mother. After all, I raised her. I quit school and picked up several jobs to support us. I let my entire family kick me out onto the streets, just so I could take care of Ada.

Why did I do all of that for someone who's not even my child?

She was Devin's.

Devin, who was my best friend since age two. She discovered she was pregnant when she was fifteen. Her boyfriend, who was a pompous ass, completely ditched her, saying that he didn't want anything to interrupt his ambitions. He acted like Devin was nothing more than a burden, which is why I'm filled with anger whenever I see him.

We see him a lot, since he's a pretty influential guy in District 3. He's the top of the class and already has an offer to design communication devices in the Capitol after he graduates. I'm sure he knows that Ada's his daughter. She doesn't know that he's her father, though. Nor does anyone else, except maybe Devin's parents, and they're in too much grief to care.

Devin died giving birth to Ada. Ada was going to be sent to the community home, but I couldn't let that happen. She was the last piece of my best friend since childhood. I wasn't going to let her rot in the under-funded community home. So I stepped in and offered to take care of her.

My parents were furious. Their perfect daughter, the one who got straight A's, had plenty of friends, and was on track for a perfect life, suddenly got caught up in a scandal they wanted no part of. One that would probably "ruin" her life.

They told me to either send Ada to the community home, or leave the household.

I'm sure you know which one I chose.

As Ada and I approach the Reaping, I pick her up and begin to carry her. People really aren't mindful of small children in Town Square, they're much too occupied with their own problems. If I leave her on the ground, she tends to get knocked around. I begin scanning the crowd for Eddie.

Eddie's my only friend, and the only person I trust to watch Ada. He's nineteen, thank goodness, which means he'll watch her as I'm forced to sit in the Reaping pen like cattle. Ada knows him pretty well, since we see him a lot. He even let me stay with him while I earned enough money to buy a home after my parents kicked me out.

I'm about to give up searching for him when I feel a hand tap my shoulder. I turn around and see Eddie standing there. He looks a little solemn, but his face immediately splits into a grin when he sees Ada.

"Uncle Eddie!" she exclaims, and reaches out for him.

"Hi, Ada!" he says, cheerfully and I transfer him from my arms to his. Ada hugs him, very happy to be in his arms.

"Good luck," he whispers to me. I nod. I haven't told Ada about the Reaping yet (she's only two!) so she doesn't know the danger her Mommy's facing. I'm a pretty reasonable person, so I know that the odds of me being Reaped are small, but that doesn't stop the concept of the Reaping from striking dread into my heart.

I enter the line to check-in, sparing one last glance at Ada and Eddie as they walk over to the viewing area. The line is taking a frustratingly long time, but I'm not as bothered by it as I usually would, since I'd prefer to stay on this side. I feel a few people staring into my back, but I do my best to ignore them. I'm not opposed to picking fights, but I'm just not feeling up to it, today.

I finally reach the front of the line and hand the Peacekeeper my finger. She grabs it from me and jabs the needle into my finger. I wince, but she doesn't seem to care. Why would she, though? She presses my finger onto a page, where it leaves a streak of blood, and she scans it.

"Lennox Porter," a robotic voice reads. The Peacekeeper waves me past, and I quickly enter the Reaping pen. I jam my hands into my pockets and keep my head down as I work my way through the crowds of people. I hear whispers all around me, but that might just my paranoia setting in.

Unfortunately, I have to walk all the way to the eighteen-year-olds section. I slide in, and some people make room for me. I can feel eyes boring into the back of my neck. I glance back, hoping to see Eddie and Ada, but they're lost in the crowd. I sigh. It was a long shot anyway.

As I turn back to face the stage, I catch a glimpse of a tall boy walking down the aisle. My eyes narrow, immediately recognizing who he is. It's _him_. Ada's father.

He rubs the grime off of his glasses as he joins his friends in the eighteen-year-old section.

 _I hope he gets Reaped,_ the gruesome thought shocks me, but only for a second. I realize that I _do_ want him to be Reaped. I want him to feel lost like Ada. Have his whole life derailed like me.

Die like Devin.

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a loud tapping noise echo throughout Town Square. My head spins to face the stage, where our escort, Blick Newter, stands, wearing a bright purple ensemble. He's grinning from ear to ear, clearly pleased with this event.

"Welcome, District 3, to the Reaping for the 248th Hunger Games!" he exclaims. "It seems like only yesterday that the Hunger Games first began…"

"Well you weren't alive then, doofus," I growl under my breath. To my surprise, the girl behind me giggles slightly.

"Before we see what lucky kids will get the honor of representing District 3, let's watch a video from the Capitol!" Blick says chirpily. He steps aside and looks toward the giant screen on the right of the stage. The entire crowd stifles groans. Nobody wants to watch this!

The video begins, and I almost completely ignore it. Alexandros Divine is the one narrating this year, and he's taking a different approach to the late President Chorley. Chorley couldn't help but giggle throughout the entire speech, but Alexandros sounds very serious. When he warns about the dangers of rebellion, he's practically spitting every word.

He finally ends by promoting the Hunger Games, and the whole screen shuts off.

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

"Did that inspire anyone else?" Blick asks, looking touched. It's hard to tell from this distance, but I'm pretty sure there are tears in his eyes. "Well, now let's go through your living Victors. Living _embodiments_ of the Hunger Games and all of the glory they bring. First we have Margaret Vance, Victor of the 174th Hunger Games…" I shut out Blick for the rest of his speech. Luckily, we don't have very many Victors, so the speech isn't very long. However, Blick insists on describing each aspect on how each Victor won, so it takes much longer than it should.

"Now for the part we all came for: the drawing of the names. Let's switch things up and start with the boys, shall we?" Blick swaggers over to male's bowl first. His hand hovers over the slips for a moment before selecting a name from the very top. He holds it out in front of him as he walks back, so we can all see it. He poses in front of the microphone as he unfolds the paper tantalizingly slow.

"Nikola Allegra," he finally reads. The crowd's quiet before a boy comes shuffling out of the fourteen-year-old's section. He doesn't look particularly strong, and his reaction is proving that he doesn't really have any skills. He looks a little shocked and dazed as he walks through the aisle and toward the stage.

I hear a woman crying in the distance, who I assume is his mother. Nikola stands on Blick's right. He looks rigid, until he breaks down and begins to sob. The whole audience gets uncomfortable, like they always do when a kid starts to cry.

"Now for the girls!" Blick announces over Nikola's tears. I feel bad for the boy. He doesn't look like he'll be returning home, and it's clear that he knows it. But Necessity didn't look like much, and she ended up in the finale. Maybe he stands a chance…

I suddenly realize that Blick has called out a name. I begin looking around for the unfortunate girl, before somebody nudges me.

"That's you, isn't it?"

"What?" I ask, shocked. They must be mistaken… I couldn't have been Reaped.

"Lennox Porter," Blick repeats. That's definitely me. I shake off the surprise as I begin to walk up toward stage. The girls have made a pathway for me, so I don't have to worry about getting through them.

"Mommy!" I hear Ada in the distance, and begin to tremble. I won't bring myself to tears, I could never cry in front of all of Panem. My legs feel wobbly as I walk up the stairs, and for a minute, I'm afraid I'll collapse. I shuffle over next to Blick. He looks me up and down, and it's clear he's not impressed.

"Are there any Volunteers?" Blick asks hopefully, but the whole crowd stays quiet. Nobody moves a muscle. "Very well! May I introduce your tributes for the 248th Hunger Games: Lennox Porter and Nikola Allegra!" The crowd claps politely, and I hear Blick whisper in my ear to shake Nikola's hand.

I mechanically take his limp hand and shake it. I'm trying to pretend I'm somewhere else, but it's not working.

"Mommy!" Ada calls again, and this time I can see her. She and Eddie are close to the front of the pen. Eddie looks shocked and terrified for me, but Ada's smiling. She's proud to see her Mommy up on stage and doesn't seem to notice how awfully scared her Mommy looks.

I'll return home, Ada. I might be gone for a few weeks, but I _will_ return home.

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What do you think of Nikola?**

 **2\. What do you think of Lennox?**

 **3\. Who do you prefer?**

 **4\. Which do you think will make it farther?**

 **5\. What book do you think had the worst movie adaptation? (I think the whole Percy Jackson series. I could go on a whole rant about this, but I won't because I don't want to waste your time :D).**

 **\- Lilah**


	9. Malakai Mavericks I

**District 4**

 **Malakai Mavericks**

 _ **Victor of the 247th Hunger Games**_

* * *

Why do I sometimes want to be back in the arena?

It was an awful event, but yet… sometimes I crave the rush of adrenaline I had in there. When I was running for my life, or when I was afraid to turn the corner in fear of seeing Aurum or Markus there. Sometimes I crave the determination. The determination to win the Hunger Games, and my purpose.

Ever Victor always says it's so difficult and that they are so glad to be out of the arena. It's not like I don't have nightmares and don't regret Volunteering, because those I do. And the concept of having to re-enter the arena makes me shudder. But at least in the arena I had a purpose… I feel like now I'm just living blindly with no idea what to do with my life.

Every day is the same: fish, eat, and sleep. Sometimes I see Kata's family. Sometimes I walk on the beach. Sometimes I play games with my friends (although, none as bad as the Hunger Games). But none really have a purpose.

I guess this year I'm supposed to Mentor. To my knowledge, that's the only responsibility a Victor has. And it's not even a desirable responsibility to most Victors. Klare constantly complained about the task, as did most of the Victors I've met.

I'm a bit afraid. I have no idea how to Mentor, which basically means my tribute will have to depend solely on their own skill. I think I'm mentoring the female tribute this year, and I don't know who the Academy has chosen. I'm sure I could have asked them, but I've tried to avoid the Academy ever since winning.

At one point, they asked me to be a trainer, and I immediately declined. Help encourage more children to Volunteer for their deaths? No thanks.

The boat rocks gently over the water as the sun rises in the horizon.

"Malakai?" Dad asks. I turn to him, shaking myself out of my trance. "You were really zoned out there, for a minute," he remarks, nervously.

"Yeah," I say. "It's just… I'm nervous about mentoring and going back to the Capitol."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Dad assures me, but it doesn't ease my worries. Doesn't he understand? A kid's life is in _my_ incompetent hands! Dad seems to be nervous that my worries aren't eased, so he sighs and turns to me. "Malakai, you will definitely be able to get your tribute home safely. I believe in you." I know he's lying, but it's comforting even though every word out of his mouth is a lie.

I feel a tug on my fishing rod and gasp. I tighten my grip on it and begin to spin the handle to draw the line in. I grunt in frustration as the handle gets progressively harder to push. Finally, a large fish emerges from the water, thrashing around. I pull it up and toss it over to Dad, who takes out a knife and stabs it in the eye to kill it.

My stomach jumps at the action as images of all of the tributes stabbed last year enter my mind.

Flora… I accidentally sent a dagger into her stomach. And then she died with my blood on her hands…

Dad sticks the fish in cooler, and I catch a glimpse of the blood coating his palms. I break down into sobs, remembering Flora and how I held her when she died. Dad looks at me, alarmed.

"Do you want to go back now, Malakai?" he asks gently.

"Yes please," I nod. Dad immediately starts the motor and the boat begins puttering towards shore. I shield my face with my hands, feeling the salty tears drip onto them.

* * *

 **This was just a quick chapter starring Malakai. Next will be the District 4 Reaping.**

 **\- Lilah**


	10. District 4 Reaping: Expectations

**Here are the District 4 Reapings! Tributes are from Author-Hime (Noelani) and 20 (Lucretius). Sorry if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes; my grammar-checker thing wasn't working.**

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

My fist collides with the flesh of the dummy. It bounces right back, although it probably would have been knocked over if it hadn't been secured to the floor. I grunt as I pull back my arm and strike it again. I wince as I feel the skin on my knuckle split, and I drop my hand. I look at the small cut and decide that it's not worth putting a bandage on.

I figure I should probably call it a day and head back, soon. The Reapings are starting in an hour, and I don't want to be late for them. I'm a punctual person, and it really bothers me if I show up late. There's no such thing as being "fashionably late". Be on time, or don't show up at all.

I do want to practice with a weapon a bit, first. I might be able to lie to everyone else about how prepared and confident I am, but not to myself. I'm terrified for the Games, and there's no such thing as being too prepared.

"Are you heading back?" Mercury asks as I step away from the dummy. I spin to face him, a little surprised. Honestly, I forgot he was there. I was too wrapped up in my training.

Mercury is my Games partner. In District 4, we get assigned Games partners early, so we can get to know each other and build trust before we go into the Games. Sometimes it works out really well, but sometimes partners get too attached and then they end up crazy or really sad.

Luckily, Mercury and I haven't developed a super close bond. I'll definitely trust him over the rest of the Careers, but I'm not going to stick with him and if it comes down to it, I _will_ kill him. I'll do what it takes to survive, which is why I've never allowed myself to get attached to him.

Mercury uses his fingers to comb through his blond hair, pushing it out of his face.

"No, I'm going to work on my sword-skills," I respond, heading over to the rack of weapons.

Mercury responds with a simple, "'kay," and goes back to beating up a dummy with his favorite, short-bladed sword. I can't help but notice that at some point, he had taken off his shirt and his abs are revealed for everyone in the room… which only consists of me. I look away and try to distract myself by choosing a sword.

Unlike a lot of people in the academy, I don't care about which weapon I choose. Mercury explains that he has an emotional attachment to the sword he uses every time, and a lot of people seem to do the same. For me, I just choose a sword that's long but light. I don't care if I've used it before or not.

I head over to one of the dummies assigned for swordplay and begin to attack it. I'm really skilled when I'm hitting a still object. I know that sounds obvious; clearly, it's easier to attack something that's not moving; but that's especially true for me. I've very precise when it comes to each individual strike, and they're fast and powerful, too.

I'm bad at _actual_ fighting because of the defense. I find it difficult to block blows on account of my missing arm.

Did I forget to mention that?

I got it caught in a canning machine when I was only five. So many of my bones were crushed, everyone just decided it would be better for it to just be amputated. I don't remember the experience very well, which I guess is a good thing. I'm assuming it was very painful, and not something I want to be popping up in my mind every now and then.

That's why I'm so afraid of the Hunger Games. It's an obvious disadvantage, and I have no doubt that my competitors might take advantage of my disability. Mercury and I were barely chosen to be the Volunteers, only because of my arm (or lack of).

It's always been difficult, but beginning life with only one arm wasn't _too_ difficult. After all, I was so young when it was amputated, I can barely remember using two. It no longer feels like I have a disadvantage in everything, but everyone else has an advantage.

And I know that will especially be true in the Hunger Games. I won't be able to block, and I'll have to do everything with only one hand. It's one of the reasons I'm so nervous about Volunteering and the Hunger Games.

I really want to show everyone that I'm just as capable as everyone else, though. Sure, I have some trouble with some everyday things, but I make up for it with others. Maybe I could win the Games, and prove to everybody how I can still do stuff.

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Lucretius Marlo**

* * *

My entire life, I've always been bested by my brother. Mercury has always beaten me in everything we've competed in; who can run faster, who can carry more weight, who can get that girl. It's not like I'm incompetent, I have always been _so_ close. But somehow, he always manages to beat me.

Now he's going to Volunteer for the Hunger Games. I'm hoping to Volunteer next year, but at that point, will it really matter? If Mercury returns home, he'll be the first Victor and no one will really care how well I do. If he doesn't, well… then I'll be too sad to actually Volunteer or care about _anything_.

But why wouldn't Mercury win? He's strong, fast, and the ladies love him. He's the perfect Victor.

If Mercury Volunteers, there's no way I'll ever be able to beat him or be seen as anything more than "Mercury Marlo's little brother". Which is why I have to Volunteer first, and win first.

"Hand," the Peacekeeper says impatiently, and I realize that I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't realize I was at the front of the line. I reach out my hand for the Peacekeeper, and he angrily pricks it, a little harder than I thought was necessary. He presses my bloody finger into the booklet, and waves me on.

I hold my finger with care as I walk down the aisle filled with people a lot taller than I am. Why is everyone in this District so _tall_? I know I'm short for my age, but only by an inch or so. Yet everyone here towers over me. I even pass some fourteen-year-olds taller than I am.

I walk into the seventeen-year-old section and squeeze in between some carefree kids. It's obvious all of them know they're not faced with the threat of going into the Hunger Games this year, so this Reaping is more of a formality to them. I make sure to stay close to the aisle, so I can walk out in a moment's notice.

I watch two people walk down the aisle, and a lot of people stop their conversations to stare at them. Of course, it's Mercury and his training partner… Noelani? I don't really remember her name, even though Mercury talks about her a lot. I normally tune him out when he gushes over her, because it's a little bit sickening.

Mercury smirks at the awe, but Noelani keeps a straight face and simply goes to stand in her section. Mercury enters the eighteen-year-old section, and I can't see him anymore. I can see Noelani, though, and she looks a bit nervous.

"Welcome, District 4!" Tiernan Briastos says in a chirpy tone. Once again, he is decked out in all sea-related clothing. He _loves_ our District, much more than anyone should. "Once again, we are here to choose another two tributes for the 248th Annual Hunger Games. First, we much watch a quick video, though." A few people sigh, but we all accept it. I know everyone hates it, but it's only five minutes. We can get through it.

Alexandros Divine is narrating the video this year, which means it has a more sinister tone than when Chorley narrated it. Chorley's version involved a lot of giggles, but Divine takes everything seriously. There are no giggles when it comes to President Divine.

The video ends, and there are a few polite claps from up on stage. I think the Victors and escorts are forced to applaud.

"Now, let's go through your living Victors!" Tiernan says, and begins listing them off. I zone out again. The only Victor I care about is last year's Malakai Mavericks. District 4's last Victor won when I was 9, so it's good that we have a new one. Unfortunately, males mentor females and females mentor males in this District, which means that if I go through with Volunteering, I won't have Malakai as a mentor.

I guess that's good, since he doesn't have any experience, but it would still be cool to get to know him.

"Now that we've honored all of your lovely Victors, let's find out who will be representing District 4 in the 248th Hunger Games! Let's start with the girls." Tiernan walks over to the girl's bowl and dips his hand inside, walking back over with a slip over paper in his hand. He unfolds it as he stands in front of the microphone and everyone falls silent, listening intently. "Brookelyn Maywaters," he reads, and a blonde girl from the eighteen-year-old section begins to walk toward the stage confidently.

"Are there any Volunteers?" Tiernan asks.

"I Volunteer as tribute!" Noelani shouts, stepping out into the aisle raising her one hand. Brookelyn looks a little disappointed, but walks back into the crowd without argument.

"Excell…" Tiernan's voice trails off as Noelani sprints up to the stage and he realizes that she only has one arm. He gulps audibly. "What's your name?" he asks.

"Noelani King," she responds. I'm sure she notices Tiernan's discomfort, but she doesn't do anything about it.

"Now for the boys!" Tiernan exclaims, and heads over to the boy's bowl. I lick my lips and feel a thin layer of sweat break out on my forehead. I think I'm going to go through with it… "Merrick Riviera!" Tiernan reads.

A boy emerges from the fifteen-year-old's section looking excited. He sprints up toward the stage before Tiernan can ask for Volunteers, and I'm sure he's hoping that if he makes it to the stage he won't be replaced.

"Are there any Volunteers?" Tiernan asks.

"I Volunteer!" I shout at the top of my lungs at about the same time Mercury does. I step out into the aisle. Everyone looks at me, shocked, including Mercury. I'm not supposed to Volunteer. Tiernan looks between Mercury and I, unsure. He's supposed to ask whoever Volunteered first to come up on stage, but it was the same time. Finally, Tiernan points at me.

"The kid with the dark hair," he requests, and I immediately begins jogging my way up to stage. Mercury remains in the aisle looking shocked.

Our eyes meet when I run by, and I whisper, "sorry," to him before I get onto the stage. I take my place next to Tiernan and Noelani. Noelani's gaping at me in surprise.

"What's your name?" Tiernan asks, holding the microphone out in front of me.

"Lucretius Marlo," I say clearly, "and I'm going to win the 248th Hunger Games."

"I like the confidence!" Tiernan says, impressed. "Shake hands."

I reach out to shake Noelani's hand, but she's still staring at me in surprise. She snaps out of it and looks down at my extended right hand. She awkwardly tries to shake my right hand with her only good left one, which is a very uncomfortable exchange.

"Let's hear a big round of applause for our tributes for the 248th Hunger Games: Lucretius Marlo and Noelani King!" The audience claps politely, but a lot of people still look surprised at me having Volunteered. I notice that Mercury is still standing in the aisle. I can't help but feel a bit bad, but then I push that away.

 _I'm sorry, Mercury, but I've been under your shadow for my whole life. It's time_ I'm _the one in the spotlight_.

* * *

 **Please review! I know this chapter was a little shorter than usual, and I don't know whether the rest will be like this or not. It depends on the chapter, I guess.**

 **Also, the tributes that were Reaped (Brookelyn and Merrick) were two of the District 4 tributes submitted to me that didn't make it in. I liked them both so much that I couldn't help but sneak them in :). They're from Anna Banana and Tyquavis.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What did you think of Noelani?**

 **2\. What did you think of Lucretius?**

 **3\. Who do you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will make it farther?**

 **5\. Which do you think is better: cats or dogs? (I know most of you will say dogs, but I'd love to see some fellow cat lovers!)**

 **\- Lilah**


	11. District 5 Reaping: Monsters

**Sorry if there are any grammar, spelling, or any mistakes of that nature this chapter. My grammar-editor is still not working and I'm much too lazy to reread and correct this myself.**

 **Dennis is from Team Shadow and Macey and Tracey are from Lord Shiro.**

 **Note: In Dennis's chapter, the worms mentioned are muttations that are basically earthworms but with much larger brains (so they can feel pain and fear).**

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

The rising sun pokes out from the cracks between each of the tightly packed houses. I glance up at it for a minute, then return to my task. I ignore the unpleasant feel of dirt under my fingernails, and continue to dig. I see a small thing wriggling in my next scoop of dirt, and pick it up with delicate fingers. I stare at the worm for a second in curiosity before throwing it down next to the rest.

Before I continue my search, I notice that one of the worms in my previous stash is trying to crawl away. I cluck my tongue and reach down and pull the worm back up.

"You're not escaping any time soon," I inform him in my low, taunting voice. "I"m going to have a lot of fun with you." It wriggles in my hand, and I tighten my hold, probably hurting the thing. It's much more difficult to see the pain and suffering with worms, which is why it's not ideal to use them, but it's better than nothing. I still get to see them panic.

I set the worm back down with the rest, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't try to escape. I gather a few more worms from the wide selection before deciding I have enough. I cram them all in my pants pockets and half-heartedly cover up the hole I've dug. I have no doubt that Cade and Dad have caught wind of my sadistic ways by now, but I'd still rather not show any concrete evidence.

When most of the dirt is back in the hole, I re-enter my house. It's very small, although there are undoubtedly worse living arrangements in District 5. I have my own room, but only because I forced Cade out of it. Now he gladly shares with Dad, since they're all kind of scared of me.

I slam the backdoor closed and make my way through the kitchen. I start with light feet, but then realize that I don't care whether they hear me or not, and resume my usual thundering pace. As I walk toward my room, I see Cade peeking at me through a crack in the door.

"Can I help you?" I snarl. He squeals and disappears in his room without another word. I roll my eyes and a small smile plays on my lips. I love seeing the fear in people's eyes. It's one of the best things. Watching their terror and pain… there's nothing like the experience.

I enter my room and slam the door closed. The room is small, but I don't need it to be big. I sleep on a mattress on the floor and have a desk. I used to have an actual bed, but I threw that out years ago. I kept some of the wood, though, and fashioned it into illegal weapons and such. I know that it's not "safe" to have them, but why should I care? It's not like the Peacekeepers raid random houses, looking for weapons. They only raid houses when they get a tip, and who's going to tip me? The only people who know I have weapons are myself and Cade, since I threatened him with one once. And we all know that Cade is way too cowardly to report me.

I pile all of the worms onto my desk, where they squirm and stupidly try to dig into the solid wood. I squat down so that they're eye level and begin laughing. _Look at them squirm… they don't even know what's coming, and they're already scared. I wonder how nervous they'll be in a moment._

I lift up my mattress and carefully decide which weapon to use. The sharper ones are easier to operate, but the ones with the dull blades keep them alive for longer, which means more fun. I decide on a small knife with a decently sharp edge, but not enough so that it will kill the worm immediately. I gently press my thumb against the tip, and a small bead of blood begins to appear on the blade. I wince, and draw back my hand. I don't like pain… well, I don't like being in pain. Pain is like a weakness, which is why I hate it with myself and love seeing other people or animals in pain.

I wipe the few drops of blood off onto my pants, which are already dirty from digging around, so it doesn't really matter. I head back over to the table, where the worms continue to squirm around. I grin wickedly at them and begin scouring for my first victim.

"Which of you shall go first?" I ask in a low whisper, looking down at all of them. I see one particular worm inching his way toward the edge of the table, desperately trying to escape. "How about you?" I ask, "since you seem so eager to escape." I pluck the worm up and it begins to slither in my hand. I pinch it tightly, so it's head begins to bulge. "Yes, you seem like a good start." I laugh evilly and squat down, setting the worm in front of me.

When it trying to crawl away, I use a hand to hold it in place. With the other, I brandish my knife. I slowly press the wooden blade against the worm's body, and it begins to struggle at the pressure. I press down even farther, and see the head and tail begin to bulge a bit. It definitely freaks out. Man, I wish I could see it's face and the pain and terror sinking in.

The blade finally cuts into the worm's back, but not enough to split it up. I lean in even closer, breathing directly onto the worm.

"I'm going to kill you," I whisper, and then laugh so loudly the neighbors across the streets probably heard me. I press the knife down, hard, and it slices right through it. It doesn't kill the worm. Eventually, if I would allow it (although I would never) it would regrow a tail. I carefully slice right above the previous cut, and it's narrowed down even further.

I decide not to taunt it any more. I need to see some death now. I don't want to make this easy for it, though. I flip my knife over and position the hilt of the knife right above the worm's little head. I'm going to crush this thing's head in, so it won't ever think again. I begin to giggle as I lower the knife. My laughs get louder and louder until the head is flat and I'm grinding the hilt against the table.

I stop when I hear a knock at the door. My laughs die and my grin immediately turns into a scowl. What could anyone possibly want with me right now? I angrily walk the short distance over to the door and yank it open.

Cade stands there, looking pathetic.

"What do you want?" I ask through gritted teeth. Cade lowers the hand raised mid-knock and stutters out his answer in obvious fear.

"Um, D-Dad said… he, um… s-said that b-breakfast was r-ready. And to c-come get y-you." Cade eyes nervously jump to the knife I'm still holding. It has a few smears of blood on it, but not a lot. Worms don't bleed a lot. My scowl turns to a smile when an idea pops into my head.

"Okay, I'll come in a minute," I say in a voice that sounds surprisingly calm. "But first, I'd like to show you something." Cade looks nervous.

"Um…" he begins nervously, but I send him a look. He knows what happens if he disobeys me. Both of us know that I'm not above hurting my little brother. I gesture him to enter, and he quickly shuffles in. He remains near the door, even after I close it, but that's close enough. I hover over my desk, looking down at all of the panicked worms.

I pick one up without much consideration and dangle it by the tail. Since Cade is so far away, I decide to take it to him.

"Do you see how panicked he is?" I ask him. Cade hesitantly nods, looking terrified. "Do you see the way he squirms around and wants to escape from my clutches?" Another nod. "Now watch."

I use the knife to make a thin slice near its head. At this point, the worm is practically touching Cade. It's dangling right in front of his face, so he can see the way it panics and squirms in pain. A small drop of blood appears where I made the incision, and slowly drips off of the creature. The drop of blood hits Cade's bare foot, which makes him panic.

I watch Cade's face now, seeing tears brim on his eyes. I'm almost done with him, but not quite yet. I lower my face to his, so we're only inches apart.

"You may think my torture of animals is bad, Cade, but you have no idea what I'm capable of," I whisper. "One day, animals won't be enough. I'll begin to crave the pain of humans. And when that day comes, I'll choose the person nearest me to torture. I think you know who that will be."

Cade's terrified expression is enough. I take a step back, and he immediately darts out of my room. He hasn't even exited when he begins to sob uncontrollably. I smile after him.

One day I'll get to hurt humans. Until then, I desperately crave for it. One day I will. But until then, I'll just have to settle.

With one slice, the life leaves the animal.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Macey Aderyn**

* * *

I hear the insane laughs of our neighbor resume, and I sigh. That kid's insane. I haven't actually met him (thank god) but I'm still afraid of him. These houses are so tightly packed, I can hear everything that goes on in that place. Well, not everything. I can hear his insane laughs and mumbles speech, but nothing more than that.

"What's wrong with that guy?" Tracey asks me in a surprised voice. I shrug, but she obviously can't see that.

"Probably insane or a psychopath or something," I respond. "Let's head to the Reaping soon," I say.

I know it's a bit early to go, but it takes Tracey and I much longer than most people to walk a short distance. Also, I like being the first person there. It bothers me to have to walk down the aisle and have everyone watching us. They _shouldn't_ be watching us. It's rude. Especially when they begin to mutter about us behind their hands and act like we don't notice them.

We've been called some pretty nasty names. Names no one should ever be called. But yet, we hear them every corner we turn. Sometimes Tracey cries over them, but not me. I never cry. It hurts, but I don't cry. I just get mad.

 _Mutant, freak, monster._

They just instill rage in me. But with Tracey, she just cries. Which just makes me even madder at them. We're already dressed, and in quite simple clothing. In some Districts, they go all out for the Reaping; dresses, suits, ties. In District 5, we just wear everyday clothing. Tracey and I are dressed in a simple sweatshirt and pants. The sweatshirt, obviously, has a modified neckline so it can fit.

"Are we ready to go?" I ask Tracey.

"Yeah, just let me put on my makeup," she says, eagerly. I groan, but comply and help her walk over to the mirror.

Sometimes, when we're by ourselves, I feel almost normal. Like anyone else. Then I look in the mirror and am reminded that we're _not_ normal. We share a body, and that's not what most twins do.

We're joined at the neck. We have two different heads and brains and thoughts, but we have the same torso and limbs. We're Siamese twins, and no one's really supportive of that in District 5.

Tracey leans in front of the mirror and uses her hand to grab a bottle of mascara. She hands it to me and I hold it while she unscrews the top and begins to apply it to her eyebrows.

"Why do you wear makeup?" I ask. "We're already pretty beautiful. I mean, I know you don't come close to my beauty, but you still don't need it." Tracey laughs, which is always something I love to hear.

"I know I don't _need_ it," she says. "But I like it. It makes me feel confident."

I don't argue my side, even though I can think of some good points. Tracey doesn't feel confident a lot, so I guess it's good when she does and I shouldn't ruin that. I help her apply the rest of it. When we're done, I can't help but feel a little jealous. I hate the feeling of makeup, but my face looks so plain in contrast to hers.

I shake off the envy. I'll never wear makeup. I don't like to hide myself, even behind a small layer of paint.

"Alright, let's go," Tracey says. Right before we leave, she adds one more thing. "And Macey?"

"Yeah?"

"You could _never_ be more beautiful than I am." We share a laugh and leave the room.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Tracey Aderyn**

* * *

I feel eyes boring into my back as Macey and I trudge along at a slow pace toward the check-in line. There aren't a lot of people out on the street at this time of day, but there are enough that I feel uncomfortable and insecure. For a second, I forget to move my leg and Macey and I stumble a bit. I control the left side and Macey controls the right side, which makes things a little difficult. We've gotten pretty good at everyday tasks, but not as competent as would be ideal.

"Tracey, don't stop moving!" Macey hisses at me, and I nod and we continue walking. I make the mistake of glancing behind me, and notice a group of kids snickering at us.

"Freak!" one of them whispers at me. He says it so quietly, Macey doesn't hear. Which is really good, because when she does hear insults, she gets furious and can't resist a fight.

I look away from him and keep my head down the rest of the way, feeling close to tears. I know that at this point, I should be toughened up a bit, but it still hurts.

Macey and I reach the check-in line, which only has one other person. The Peacekeeper finishes checking him in, and waves him past. He begins to walk into the roped-in area, but turns around and sees us. He does a double-take, and makes a strangled noise. I can tell he's grossed out, but he tries to hide it and simply walks away. At least he wasn't rude.

The Peacekeeper looks confused how to check us in, so Macey holds out her hand. I don't think the Peacekeeper understands whether to check in one or both of us. In the past, we've only had to check in for one person since we share blood and if one of us is there, the other one obviously is. Macey usually gets her finger pricked, since she suffers pain much better than I do.

The Peacekeeper, despite looking confused, pricks Macey's finger and presses it into a little booklet. It leaves a stain of blood, which makes me shudder. I really don't like to look at blood, it makes me queasy.

The Peacekeeper scans the bloodstain and the machine confirms us as "Macey and Tracey Aderyn". The Peacekeeper waves us past, and we walk into the roped-in area together. Only one more year of the Reapings, and we'll be free. That thought comforts me.

I'm immediately un-comforted when I see people staring at us as we walk down the aisle. I hear a few hisses of "monster" and "mutant" but mostly people remain quiet. They're too scared to insult us right now. Also, there's a huge belief in karma in District 5, so I'm sure most of them believe that if they're jerks to us right now, they'll be Reaped.

We take our place at the very front, which is not somewhere we'd normally choose to be. We like to stay in the back, but we don't really have that choice, since we have to stay at the front with the other eighteen-year-olds.

I mostly block out the next hour.

Other kids trickle in, until the entire space is packed. Then, our new escort, Phrixos, introduces himself and makes us watch a ridiculously boring video promoting the Hunger Games and makes us review the four living Victors we have. We only have one male mentor, who I feel bad for, because he has to mentor every year.

Finally, we get to the drawing of the names.

"This year, let's start with the boys!" Phrixos announces, much too cheerfully. He walks over to the boy's bowl and dips his hand inside. He's very no-nonsense, and doesn't do any of the silly taunting or "who should I choose…?" our old escort, Georgia, used to do. He just draws a name from deep in the bowl and carries it over to the microphone.

Phrixos takes a while unfolding it, although I think that's partly because of his thick fingers. He finally manages to unfold it and reads out loud:

"Dennis Fielder!"

Everyone begins to search for the unlucky boy, but we immediately locate him when he lets out a loud cackle. Everyone else falls uncomfortably silent as a tall, dark-skinned boy exits the eighteen-year-old section practically keeled over, he's laughing so much. He manages to get to the stage, and his laughs die down. However, a creepy grin is still plastered across his face.

"You seem enthusiastic," Phrixos remarks, although there's obvious fear in his voice. He holds out the microphone for Dennis, as if expecting him to answer, but he doesn't anything. Finally, Phrixos is about to set the mic back in place, and Dennis says something.]

"This is going to be fun."

The simple sentence is chilling, and I feel everyone stiffen up. No one wants to be the unlucky girl that has to accompany him.

"Now, let's find out who will be joining Dennis," Phrixos says, and walks over to the girl's bowl.

"I think that's our neighbor - you know, the crazy one," Macey whispers to me as Phrixos draws a name. I nod in agreement - his laugh did sound similar and equally as insane. Phrixos unfolds the paper and reads it silently. He doesn't read it out loud though, he just looks confused.

"Is this a mistake?" he asks. He turns to the mayor, uncertainly, but that guy doesn't know anything. Phrixos just shrugs and reads, "Macey and Tracey Aderyn." I feel my body freeze up. I can't move…

Macey begins to walk up without me, but that just makes us fall over, provoking some laughter. Macey glares at everyone, but even she knows that she can't fight anyone.

"Come _on_ , Tracey," she whispers, sounding frustrated. I finally find the ability to move my leg, and we begin to walk up the stage. Phrixos sees us and sighs in understanding.

" _That's_ why there were two names," he realizes. We stand next to Phrixos, only a few feet away with this insane guy.

"District 5, give a round of applause for your tributes for the 248th Hunger Games: Macey Aderyn, Tracey Aderyn, and Dennis Fielder!" The crowd gives a polite round of applause, but I don't think they even pity us. They're _glad_ to get rid of us. The hyena and the mutants.

We're off into the Games, and everyone knows we won't make it out. I know what they're thinking.

 _Good riddance._

* * *

 **All three of these tributes were really fun to write and I can't wait to keep writing them. The District 6 Reaping will hopefully be posted tomorrow.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What do you think of Dennis?**

 **2\. What do you think of Macey?**

 **3\. What do you think of Tracey?**

 **4\. Who do you like best?**

 **5\. What's your favorite type of music?**

 **\- Lilah**


	12. District 6 Reaping: Bravado

**Axel is from Tyquavis and Tristana is from Pierana.**

 **Also, Tyquavis, sorry for changing Axel's backstory so much. Since I had to put him in District 6 (I already had a big plot idea for District 7 and I loved Axel too much to not accept him) I had to switch up some stuff about his backstory. I hope you're okay with it.**

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

My dart hits the center of the board once again, provoking a cheer from my friends. I can't help but break into a smile as I admire my handy-work. Not one of the dart traveled outside of the inner ring. When I actually compete, it will be a much farther distance to throw from, but this is the best my bedroom has to offer.

"How do you have such good aim, Axel?" Milo asks in amazement, sitting on my bed and looking up at me in awe. I shrug, trying to appear humble.

"I don't know," I mutter. "Practice?"

"Nonsense!" Leona declares, returning with my darts after picking them off the board. "You have a natural gift, Axel. No twelve-year-old is _that_ good, even with constant practice." Leona dumps the darts into my hand.

"We should probably start getting ready for the Reaping," I explain, but my friends won't hear it.

"One more!" Aspen demands.

"Okay, fine," I comply. "I'll throw one more round, but then I need to get ready. The Reapings start in less than an hour, and they're all the way across town."

Aspen claps excitedly, and then they all fall quiet as they watch me chuck another round of darts at the board. Each one hits the center, or close enough, so they all let ut a cheer.

I got into dart-throwing a few months ago, after getting beaten up at school for being "a nerd and teacher's pet". After that, I became gradually less and less confident until I was afraid to leave the house. Luckily, Dad convinced me to take up dart-throwing so I could fend off the bullies.

Obviously, darts aren't the best defense mechanism, but they're the best available option. I'm much too small to wrestle or learn fist-fighting, and Mom would probably have a heart attack if I signed up for either of those, anyway.

Fencing was banned in District 6 after a fiaso involving a Peacekeeper, rebel, and a fencing sword, so that was out of question. The only legal sport remaining happened to be dart-throwing.

At first, I thought it was stupid, then I discovered that I had a knack for it. I've competed in a few championships already, and I'm really good. There aren't really any child dart-throwing leagues in our District, so I've had to compete against full-grown adults… and somehow, I've actually _won._

"Alright, that's enough," I say, and all of my friends groan. "The Reaping's really soon, guys, and I need to get dressed!"

"Fine," Aspen groans, and she, Leona, and Milo all leave. I'm about to begin sorting through my closet for acceptable clothing, when I realize Asher remains sitting on the bed.

"Are you going to go home?" I ask, surprised to see him still here. Asher shrugs, looking uncomfortable.

"I don't know…" he mumbles. "Dad's in a bad mood and Mom was drinking this morning when I left, so…" I smile sympathetically.

"You can stay here," I offer and Asher looks relieved. I notice that he's also wearing really casual clothing, stuff that the Gamemakers would never allow, so I also offer he borrow some of my formal-esque clothing.

Asher's family situation isn't exactly the best, but I try to help him out where I can. His older brother got hit by a train when we were four, and ever since, his family has been a bit of a mess. Asher doesn't really remember his brother, although he's still pretty sad over his death, but the real issue is the way his parents have reacted.

His mother has taken to the drink and is almost constantly drunk or sobbing, so Asher kind of lost her. His father has gotten increasingly more bitter until he reached the point of abusive. Asher tries to avoid him.

So, he spends a lot of time at our house.

I select a simple light blue button-up shirt and khaki pants. Both were recently purchased for this occasion, so they fit really well. Asher has less options since he has second pick, but he manages to find an acceptable outfit; a clean white t-shirt and black slacks. Asher's a little bigger than me, so they don't fit him very well, but you can only see his ankles by an inch or so and tight t-shirt only defines his surprisingly large muscles for a twelve-year-old boy.

"Do you think this is fine?" he asks nervously, after trying on the outfit. I nod, but he still looks a little doubtful.

"It's good enough for the Peacekeepers, and that's all that really matters," I remind him.

"But what if I get Reaped? Then I'll look like a doofus wearing too-small pants in front of all of Panem."

"If you get Reaped, I'll Volunteer for you," I say, matter-of-factly. Asher laughs a bit, before realizing that I'm serious. His face goes pale.

"Axel, you can't Volunteer for me!" he insists.

"Why wouldn't I?" I shrug, and Asher looks shocked.

"Because you might _die_. I don't want you dying for me!"

I don't say anything else, because I'd Volunteer him no matter what he says. He can't change my mind. But the whole argument's probably useless, since we barely have any names in there. I only have one slip, and Asher has five… unless he lied to me about the amount of tesserae he took out, but I don't find that likely.

Either way, we both took have much better odds than most people.

If one of us were to be Reaped, it would be truly surprising.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

"Next," the Peacekeeper grunts, and when I don't immediately move, the girl behind me nudges me forward. Although, nudge feels more like a shove. I send her a glare before holding out my hand for the Peacekeeper.

"I like your outfit," I tell the Peacekeeper as she pricks my fingers and marks the blood into a little booklet. "It's really unique." The Peacekeeper gives and exasperated sigh and I smirk a little bit. Her outfit is exactly the same Peacekeeper suit that every Peacekeeper wears.

"Tristana Rockett," a little automated voice states when she scans my name.

"Who has that job?" I ask her, gesturing to the scanner. " _Tristana Rockett,_ " I imitate the robotic voice, probably badly, and I swear I can see her roll her eyes behind the mask.

"Next," she says in a frustrated voice. I move on, and begin to walk down the aisle. I scan the sixteen-year-olds section for Tambry, who's my only female friend. The rest of the people in our little group will be with the boys. Much to my chagrin, I can't seem to spot her so I'm forced to stand next to a bunch of random girls giggling about makeup and cute boys. I can't help but gag, which earns some pointed glances my way. They resume their conversation.

"Liber is so handsome!" one of them gushes.

"He's, like, forty!" another exclaims.

"Thirty-eight," the first one corrects. "But he's in really good shape for a Victor."

They must be talking about Liber Tracks - one of our only current mentors. He's currently sitting up on stage, drinking what looks to be a bottle of booze. He's not that old yet, and I guess he's sort of attractive, but I wouldn't call him handsome. The years of drinking and nightmares have gotten to him, so he looks a little disheveled.

"Hello, District 6!" We all turn our attention to our escort, who I supposed has decided to begin the Reapings even though it's pretty clear not everyone is here. I watch as some more kids rush in, afraid that they're late and will get in trouble. Our escort doesn't seem to notice. "I'm Camilla Larke, and even though it's only my second year mentoring your District, I'm excited to be here. We got _so_ close at a Victor last time, and this time, I think we'll make it!"

As much as I hate her frilly and spoiled demeanor, I liked her statement. Mika did get really close last time, although I would have had a much different approach when it came to strategy in the Hunger Games. Of course, she did make it to the finale and lost just because of some small misfortune, so I probably shouldn't be doubting her strategy.

Remus, on the other hand, didn't do that great. He got _last_ place after slipping off his platform during the countdown. I kind of knew him before he was Reaped. He lived on my street, so our families kind of knew each other. I actually knew his brother, Timmy, pretty well, since we're in the same grade. I didn't know Remus well, though. When I do see Timmy around school, he's not the same. He's constantly bitter and picking fights with everyone.

"I'm excited for this Reaping, although it's going to be sad when we'll have to say goodbye to a tribute. The _other_ will be a Victor." Camilla winks at us. "How about we start with a nice little video from the Capitol?"

"How about we don't?" I suggest, a bit too loudly. Everybody looks at me, although most people laugh or smile. The Peacekeepers and escort look a little pissed, but they can't really do anything.

The screen flickers to life and we're forced to endure a ten-minute video about the importance of the Hunger Games and the tragedy of the war that brought them about. We have Alexandros Divine narrating this time, which is a big difference, although not for the better. Felix Chorley couldn't stop giggling when he narrating it, which was at least entertaining, even though it didn't exactly assure me we were getting the best leadership.

Divine takes everything so seriously. I like to think of myself as a fearless person, but his dead-serious tone scares me a bit. We all know that he isn't about the fun, either. We all watched him execute all those rebels, including a stupid guard via guillotine. What century is this?

"Now that the video's over, let's go over your previous Victors! First we have Clio Freight; Victor of the 178th Hunger Games!" Camilla says, and a lady as old as time itself shakily stands up, provoking a round of applause.

Camilla goes over the next Victors, but it's clear that no one cares. Although, when she announces Liber Tracks, the girl behind me lets out a squeal. She finally announces Cardea Legis (a handful of people boo her, which I think is a little extreme) and announces that she'll select a boy first.

Camilla trots over to the male's bowl and hover her hand above it, looking around in the bowl for a slip that looks promising. She finally decides on one and plucks it out of the bowl. As she walks back over, she displays it in the air so we can all see it.

"I think this one's a Victor!" she exclaims. "Axel Woodleigh!"

Some movement comes from the twelve-year-old section.

"I vol -"

"No!" somebody exclaims. I don't know what's going on, but from what I can hear, I think the boy is trying to stop someone else from Volunteering. Eventually, a small boy pushing his way through the crowd and into the aisle.

"Oh crap," Camilla mutters, obviously forgetting there's a microphone in front of her face. Her hand flies to her mouth, clearly shocked that she just uttered those two words aloud. The boy walks to the stage, surprisingly calm. Most of the time, when twelve-year-olds are chosen, they cry or at least look terrified. This boy looks almost confident.

He takes his place next to Camilla, who looks a little guilty for stating her disappointment out loud.

"Now for the girls!" she announces, and heads over to the girl's bowl. I feel butterflies begin to flutter around in my stomach as Camilla's hand hovers over the bowl, looking for a promising slip. She finally decides on one, although she digs all the way down to the bottom. I bite my lip nervously. I wouldn't say there's a _good_ chance that paper has my name on it, but it's definitely not out of the question.

"Tristana Rockett!" Camilla reads, looking hopefully out into the crowd.

I feel my body freeze in absolute shock. How could I be chosen? My name was barely in there!

"That's you, right?" a girl whispers in my ear. I shake off the shock and nod. I plaster a fake smile on my face and start to head for the aisle. I'm expecting to have to push through other kids, like… Aiden? Anders?... did, but they clear a path for me. I walk up the aisle and take my place next to Camilla, not letting my smile fade.

She says something about how sure she is that we'll do well, and I look at my District partner. He's not as confident as he seemed when he was first Reaped. He still has that firm and determined look, but up close I can tell that it's all for show.

"Congratulate your tributes for the 248th Hunger Games - Tristana Rockett and Axel Woodleigh! Shake hands."

I turn to Axel, and extend my hand. He shakes it with a firm grip, then goes back to facing the crowd.

I can't believe I'm going into the Hunger Games… I don't have any experience with weapons or nature… But I do know how to pack a punch, and have some pretty good street smarts. So don't count me out of the running just yet.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Next will be a quick interlude to get introduced to our third featured mentor, and then District 7 Reapings!**

 **Also, I'm really glad we're already half-way through the Reapings. If we continue at this pace, we should be at the pre-Games pretty soon.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What do you think of Axel?**

 **2\. What do you think of Tristana?**

 **3\. Who do you prefer?**

 **4\. Who will make it further?**

 **5\. Since we're halfway through, who's your favorite tribute so far? (Besides your own).**

 **\- Lilah**


	13. Chance Alector I

**District 7**

 **Chance Alector**

 _ **Victor of the 233rd Hunger Games**_

* * *

Most people who meet me first assume that I'm a narcissistic asshole.

That's a fair assumption and one that's 100% true.

I'm not a complete jerk or anything. I love my family. I have a sweet side. But most of the time, I completely meet everyone's expectations of me. A lot of people don't spare any feelings and make it very clear that they despise me. One of these lovely people is my fellow District 7 Victor, Dara Bayard. Unfortunately for her, we're neighbors in the Victor's Village and I'm too lazy to remember to buy groceries.

I woke up at three in the morning, craving a hot cup of coffee. After several minutes of tearing my kitchen from top to bottom, I came to the conclusion that I was out.

When I want something, I won't wait to get it. I decided that I would not wait until morning, when a shop would open in town and I could go and buy coffee. There's only one other place I know I can get coffee. Dara always has a fair supply.

I'm not wearing anything other than my underwear right now, so I wrap a bathrobe around me. That should be enough cover. If I was actually going a far distance, I'd throw on some clothes, but Dara's right next door. Nobody will even see me. I'll just pop in and out, so technically I don't even need a bathrobe. I'm not _that_ confident she won't wake up, though, so I'll keep it on.

I don't even bother putting on shoes before I exit my house through the backdoor. I tiptoe my way over to Dara's house, which is only a few meters away, because the sound of pine needles and fallen leaves are quite loud, even when I'm barefoot. Dara's a light sleeper, as well.

Dara's backdoor is locked, per usual, so I try the windows. I find one cracked open conveniently near the window, and pull myself through it. It's a little high, so it's good I'm still in such great shape. I'm easily able to lift myself up and through. The real struggle is not making any noise when I enter. I try to be as quiet as possible, but I'm still a heavy guy and make a loud thud when I fall through.

I freeze for a moment, expecting Dara to wake up and come bounding down the stairs. After a minute of no Dara, I decide she must have not heard me, and continue on my quest for coffee.

I begin shuffling through her overflowing pantry for coffee grounds or something. Unfortunately, Dara has way too many boxes and bags and bottles in her pantry. She's one of those people who save everything up to years past their expiration date, and forget it's there. I don't think she ever throws anything out, just keeping loading new boxes in front, so she forgets it's there. I'm sure if I went all the way back, I'd find gross peanut butter from the 230th Hunger Games or something.

I eventually stumble across a bag of coffee grounds. I _carefully_ check the expiration date and am relieved to learn that it's only a month or two past, and that's fine.

I tuck it in the pocket of my bathroom and begin to head toward the window from where I entered, when some silver goes flying past my head. I automatically duck, and it hits the wall behind me. It's a pot. I look at where it was thrown from, and there stands Dara.

Her hair is a mess and she too is wearing a bathrobe. Her eyes are bloodshot and she looks exhausted.

"Chance?" she asks, astounded.

"Why did you throw a pot at me?" I ask.

"Why are you sneaking down in my kitchen at…" Dara checks her watch, "4 AM?"

"I was looking for coffee?"

"Did I give you _permission_ to sneak into my home?"

"No ma'am," I say, rolling my eyes.

" _Don't_ come into my home without my permission again, okay, Chance Alector?" Dara asks angrily. I nod.

"Why do you look like you haven't been sleeping?" I ask, changing the topic. Dara looks a little surprised at the conversation's twist.

"That's none of your business," she says gruffly.

"Are you nervous about mentoring?"

Her silence is enough of an answer.

"You'll be fine," I assure her. "After all, you mentored me and I turned out okay." Dara scoffs.

"That's a stretch."

"Whatever," I sigh. "You'll be fine. Now, can I use your coffeemaker? Mine's broken."

* * *

 **What'd you think of Chance (and Dara too, I guess)? Don't forget to review these - just because they don't have tributes, doesn't mean they're not worth sponsor points.**

 **\- Lilah**


	14. District 7 Reaping: Alone

**Tributes are from Professor R.J Lupin1 (Zaira) and Anna Bananna (Ruce).**

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Zaira Quentin**

* * *

I sit at the top branch of the tree, perched there like a bird. It's very peaceful up here, especially at this time of day. Early dawn, from the minute the sun kisses the top of each tree to when the working bells ring, signalling the beginning of the work day. Or in this case, the beginning of the Reaping.

The Reaping is supposed to be a vacation, but no one really sees it that way. A vacation is supposed to be a time for you to relax and let the struggles of everyday life disappear, at least for the time-being. But the Reaping only brings up new fears. I guess some lumberjacks, the ones without children or don't know anyone eligible, find this as a sort of vacation, but even then they feel pity for the tributes and their families, so they can't exactly relax, either.

Even though we don't have work today, I still see some people walking around below me. It's not really weird - in our District, lots of people are calmed by the forest. It's no surprise that a number of them are strolling about it on Reaping day.

Last year, our crop of tributes wasn't the best.

Clara was probably the worst tribute that year, and she died in the Bloodbath, as everyone suspected. There were some rumors that she was faking her spoiled, useless appearance for the underdog-strategy, but evidently not.

Ash showed some promise, especially after killing the boy from One in the Bloodbath. We all had some hope he would come home, since he seemed to be doing fairly well for himself; he had allied with the strongest tribute in the Games, he had a lot of supplies, and wasn't encountering a lot of danger. We were starting to really hope he would come back when he made it to the Top Twelve, but then he died for the girl from District 2.

This year, I hope our tributes are better. It always hurts when they don't return home. Also, when one of them wins, we get a bunch of treats for the rest of the year. A bunch of really good food that even most rich citizens in our District don't get. It's especially good for me, since I mostly live off a diet of stale bread and bruised fruit.

I can't afford the best food, since I'm saving up for an actual house. Currently I live in a run-down shack on the edge of the forest, which isn't the best living condition. Ever since my parents died, money's been tight. And I'm not great at my lumberjack job, so I don't really rake in dough everyday.

My father died when I was only seven. I don't remember him all that well, and what I do remember is covered in the glossy light of childhood memories: where you have a filter, so you can only remember a few good things.

I remember how he couldn't afford to shave everyday, so his jaw was always covered in stubble. Whenever he hugged me, it would scratch my delicate toddler skin and I would complain about it. He would only laugh and promise to shave it next time, even though he couldn't actually complete that promise.

I also remember how strong he was; his powerful biceps wasn't uncommon in District 7, but for me, I thought he was the strongest man in the world. Sometimes he would throw me up in the air and catch me just before I hit the ground. My mom would always act all worried, afraid he wouldn't manage to catch me and I'd crack my head or something. But he always caught me.

He was crushed by a falling tree. He was at his lumberjack job, when somebody chopped down a tree. It fell over very fast, and it landed on top of him before he could even run. It's not very uncommon in District 7, but it tore our family apart. My mom was pregnant at the time when it happened, and she just couldn't handle everything. She was a single mother with no source of income and a baby on the way who was still heartbroken over her husband's death.

She didn't kill herself. She would never do that to me. No, the stress led to a miscarriage. We don't exactly have the best doctors in District 7, so she died. That day, I lost a mother, a sibling, and any security.

I lived in the community home from age 8 to age 14, which is when we're kicked out. I've heard that in other Districts, the maximum age is 18, but in District 7 we have a lot of orphans. Chopping down trees is a dangerous job, which results in a lot of parent-less children. Since the community home is already overflowing, they kick us out the moment we become old enough to hold a steady job, which means cutting down trees.

There are a few other jobs in District 7, for people who physically don't have the strength to chop down trees, but those are very rare and are much more selective than a lumberjack position. As long as we're at least fourteen years of age and can lift an axe, we're forced to work as a lumberjack.

A few people work at the factories where they cut the logs into planks of wood and strip off the bark, but all they have to do is manage to machines, so the job doesn't call for a lot of people.

I got a job as a lumberjack the moment I got kicked out of the community home; when I turned 14.

The past two years have been hard, but who would expect them not to be? I'm basically homeless, I have no family and only one friend, and I'm terrible at the only job I have or can get.

That's why I'm not really nervous for the Reaping. How much tougher could my life get?

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Sprucen Willes**

* * *

As I walk through the streets and approach the check-line, I am dismayed to see how long it is. There's no way I'm waiting for ten minutes in this insanely large line - this District is way too big.

"Outta the way," I growl, and shove several kids aside so I can get to the front of the line. I hear a few cries of protest, but all of these kids are so tiny and none are stupid enough to mess with me. However, there's one large kid near the front of the line who doesn't like it when I claim my rightful place in front of him.

"What are you doing?" he demands.

"Going to the front of the line," I reply, simply.

"I don't think so!" he shouts, angrily. This guy has a very short temper. "Go to the back of the line, like you're supposed to!"

"No," I state. The guy's face is bright red in anger.

"I've waited in this line for eight minutes, so you have no right to cut in front of -"

I cut him off by sending a punch directly into his jaw. The people around us gasp and out of the corner of my eye, I see a crowd beginning to form. The guy I punched stumbles back, clutching his cheek. He snarls at me and charges, but I send another punch his way, this time hitting him in the nose.

"Fight! Fight!" a few kids around us begin to chant.

The guy holds a hand to his nose, and when he removes it there's blood smeared across it. He looks up at me, and I notice that his nose is all misshapen and crooked.

"You broke my nose, you bastard!" he exclaims.

"Whoops," I say, smirking. He comes rushing at me again, and I kick him in the gut. He collapses now, coughing on the ground.

"What's going on?" a Peacekeeper demands, rushing over. He pushes his way through the line of people, who reluctantly part to let him through. The Peacekeeper stops when he sees the guy on the ground, and turns to look at me. "Fighting is forbidden in District 7," he hisses.

"So?"

Everyone gasps and looks shocked. I'm sure they're all wondering what kind of idiot would talk back to a Peacekeeper. The Peacekeeper stands still for a moment. I have no idea how he's reacting, since there's no way to see behind his helmet, so I just stand there.

"Normally, I'd arrest you," he hisses. "But since today is the Reaping, I'll be nice. Go check in, but remember - next time you so much as _dare_ looking at me, you'll end up tied to a whipping post."

"Fine," I say, and turn back to the Peacekeeper checking people in. The line has cleared in front of me, so I don't have to wait to check in. I offer the Peacekeeper my hand and she pricks it with the needle and presses the tip into her little booklet.

"Sprucen Willes," the little scanning machine confirms, and she waves me through. I check over my shoulder and spot the Peacekeeper I angered still looking in my direction. I smirk, slightly, and continue down the aisle.

I reach the eighteen-year-olds section and push several kids aside to slide my way in. They groan in annoyance, but none bother me. They're either too nervous about the Reapings to care about me, or they've heard about me and know better than to mess with me.

A few more kids trickle in, but not many, since I was pretty late. One kid cuts in front of me, blocking my excellent view of the stage.

"Hey!" I shout, shoving him out of the way. He narrows his eyes, but when he realizes who I am, they immediately widen.

"Are you Ruce Willes?" he stammers.

"Yeah, now get out of my way, you ugly brat!"

The kid scampers away, leaving me to laugh at him. I have my good view of the stage again, and at just the right time, as well. Our escort, some dude who's name I don't remember, happily skips up to the microphone, sporting a colorful ensemble so bright it almost makes my eyes bleed.

"Welcome District 7! We're here to choose two new tributes to compete in the 248th Annual Hunger Games! I, personally, am excited to see who will be representing us this year. This District has produced some lovely tributes and Victors, and I'm sure this year will be no exception.

"Before we choose our tributes, let's watch a short film to remind us _why_ we have the Hunger Games. I know a lot of you don't like this video, but it's very important."

Our escort takes a few steps back so most of us can see the giant screen to his left. It turns on, and I'm seeing the beginning of the video. As usual, it's war footage (although I heard somewhere that most of the video was shot by actors and made to look like the war). I'm probably one of the only few people who pay attention every year, because I seem to be the only one to notice the new details they add.

The obvious one, which I'm sure everyone notices, is the change of narrator. It's customary for the current president to narrate the video, even though they all stick to the same script. President Chorley and President Divine have a very different way of narrating the video, so that's obvious.

The more discreet changes are in the war footage. Some of the shots have been replaced by what I can only assume is footage of the rebel attack last year. All of the shots are quick, so it's hard to notice, but I do spot a short shot of the Peacekeeper headquarters blowing up, and a few beheadings of who I can only assume are some of the rebels.

The video ends, and our escort enthusiastically claps. They echo throughout Town Square, the only noise for miles. He doesn't seem fazed by our lack of enthusiasm, and simply moves on to introducing our living Victors. He goes through several, in unfortunate detail until he wraps it up with our most recent Victor, Chance Alector.

"Now that all of that stuff's finished, we can move on to the exciting part: drawing the names! As usual, let's start with the girls."

Our escort walks over to the girls bowl and snatches a slip of paper right back up. He turns to walk back over to the mic, then pauses.

"You know what? I don't think that's a Victor," he states, and places the slip of paper back in the bowl. He digs all the way to the bottom of the bowl to pull out a name this time. "This one's definitely a Victor!" he grins.

He walks back over to the mic and unfolds the slip of paper at a very slow pace.

"Zaira Quentin!" he reads. I search around for this year's female tribute. For a moment, there's no movement. Not even a friend or parent crying out for their child. Just silence. Finally, a strong-looking girl begins to shuffle out of the sixteen-year-olds section. People part for her, but no one seems really sad. I guess she's not really well known.

Zaira makes her way up to the stage and takes her place next to the escort. He says something about how he thinks she'll win, before asking for Volunteers.

As usual, he's met with crickets. He then announces that he'll choose the boy's name.

I'm not as invested with who'll he choose, because it doesn't matter. They won't go into the Hunger Games because I'm volunteering. I do think the escort was off when he stated his confidence that Zaira would be the next Victor, though - it'll be me. I'm strong and smart. How could I not win? It's a recipe for success.

"Theodore Machen!" he reads.

It's a moment before a small, sniveling boy boy inches his way up the aisle from the fifteen-year-old section. I nearly scoff. Thank God I'm replacing him - there's no way he could last a day in the Hunger Games.

I want to mess with him, so I'll wait until the escort asks for Volunteers to step up. I want this kid to believe he's going into the Hunger Games first. And his annoying mother, who's sobbing loudly in the back.

"Are there any Volunteers?" the escort asks hopefully when Theodora is standing next to him.

"I volunteer!" I announce calmly, and slowly strut up to the stage. I hear a few people gasp. Volunteering in this District is very uncommon. Theodore sighs in relief and almost knocks into me on his way down the stage. I snarl at him in anger, and he winces. I take my place next to the escort and he asks me my name. "Sprucen Willes," I answer. "But everyone calls me Ruce."

"I'm excited to have you, Ruce!" he responds, looking ecstatic. I doubt he's ever had a Volunteer. "Anyway, shake hands!"

I turn to my District partner - I've already forgotten her name, and hold out my hand. She hesitantly grabs onto it and shakes it.

"District 7, may I introduce your tributes for the 248th Annual Hunger Games: Sprucen Willes and Zaira Quentin!"

* * *

 **Sorry if this chapter wasn't great. I wasn't feeling in the mood to write it, but I felt like I had to so I churned it out anyway.**

 **Also, there's a poll on my profile for your favorite tribute so far. It won't include Zaira or Sprucen, since I meant to do this mid-reapings but forgot.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What do you think of Zaira?**

 **2\. What do you think of Sprucen?**

 **3\. Who do you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will make it further?**

 **5\. What's your favorite/lucky number? (Mine is 32. I have no idea why).**

 **\- Lilah**


	15. District 8 Reaping: Underdogs

**Linen is from Queenofinsanity and Felix is from Pierana.**

* * *

 **District 8**

 **Linen Baird**

* * *

I dart around the crowded workspace, diving beneath tables to gather bits of fallen fabric and other refuse. The factory is large, but yet all of the tables are so tightly packed, it's almost impossible to get from point A to point B unless it's closing time.

I've heard that in other Districts, like 6 or 12, they get the day off on Reaping day. Not here. We do get to leave early, though, to make it to the Reaping. I would think it's unfair, except for the fact that my job is really fun.

Since I'm so young, I'm in charge of picking up scraps and trash from the ground while everyone else works. A lot of people compare us to janitors or maids, but we're very different. Our job requires us to be quick, tiny, and nimble. Otherwise, you'd constantly be bumping into people.

It's actually really fun, since it requires me to stay alert to make sure I don't knock into the whole thing. I prefer it to school, since I can actually move around here. Unfortunately, Mom says that when I get bigger, I'll no longer be able to do this and will have to get a regular factory job. I'm dreading that day.

I squeeze between two really close workers and pick up a fallen bit of thread from the floor. I look up and see someone moving a sewing machine direction toward my head. I duck, and it barely misses me.

I manage to escape the tight corner I'm in, and dive toward the ground. On hands and knees, I crawl underneath a table, picking up refuse and stuffing it in my pocket as I go. I'm very mindful not to crawl on any pins or needles, because that would be very painful.

A few other kids have this job, but I'd consider myself the best one. I'm the quickest and the sneakiest, so I never get in anyone's way. My little sister, Magenta, also has this job but she's really clumsy and always bumping into people. I reach the end of the table and pop up. A guy almost walks directly into me, but changes his path at the last minute. Sometimes, I can really go unnoticed. It's almost a gift.

I squeeze through some workers and reach the trash can. I dump all of my fabric bits into the bin entitled "extra material" and the rest of the trash into the trash can.

I gaze down at my hands and knees and sigh. They're both really dirty from crawling around on the floor, and Mom doesn't like it when I'm dirty on a Reaping day. We're not exactly rolling in dough, so it's not good when we have to take extra baths. Dad calls it a waste of water.

I look up, ready to continue with my job, when I see Magenta stumbling around with mounds of loose fabric in her hand. A tall guy backs up from the sewing table, and knocks right into her. She falls backward, slamming into another worker. This guy gets really mad and turns around, all indignant. He begins shouting at her, but I can't quite make out what he's saying.

Curious, I get close to the situation.

"Stop stumbling around, you clumsy kid!" he shouts, bits of spittle flying from his lips. "You might hurt someone! These machines are dangerous, you can't just knock into people!"

"But, um…" Magenta begins stammering, unsure of what to say or how to stick up for herself.

"Apologize!" the guy yells.

"I-I'm sorry!" she exclaims. I shake my head in disappointed and head over toward the two of them. They don't see me approaching. The guy continues to lecture my sister about courtesy and attentiveness, while she looks terrified.

"Look, dude," I say, butting in. He turns to me with an angry look in his eyes. "She wasn't doing anything. Somebody else knocked her into you. She didn't do anything wrong, and you didn't get hurt, so drop it."

"I'm not listening to a twelve year old!" he guffaws. "This is ridiculous! You can't act like I'm being all immature and talk _down_ on me! I'm your elder."

"Actually, I'm thirteen," I correct. "And if you mess with my little sister, I _will_ talk down on you."

The guy looks shocked that I actually stood up to him. The people surrounding us have dispersed, so I figure now is a good time to leave.

"Come on, Magenta, let's go," I say, and pull her away. I glance down at her for a minute and see her big, brown eyes gazing up at me adoringly. Magenta's only nine, so she still idolizes me and my older sister, Cotton. She thinks everything I do is cool and incredible. I have to admit, it makes me feel good to know that someone has _that_ much adoration toward me.

Magenta deposits her armfuls of scraps into the bin.

A moment later, the work bell rings.

Normally, this signals the end of the day, but I guess today it's telling us that it's almost time for the Reaping. I'm a little nervous, because I'm pretty sure I only have one hour to ge home, get ready for the Reaping, and arrive before the escort starts making her speech, so I know that Magenta and I need to get out of her.

"Come on," I whisper, and yank her away from the crowd of people beginning to shuffle toward the door.

I don't like lines - they're too confining. We're supposed to exit the factory single-file, but I would never do that, especially at the snail pace everyone's traveling at. Instead, I travel by leaping over tables.

I climb up onto the table's surface and race across it. I leap onto the next one, narrowly avoiding an old woman walking by. Magenta follows me, but she's not nearly as quick or nimble. She manages to leap across, but almost hits the same man who yelled at her before.

He glares at us in anger, but continues on with the line. I'm sure he's too impatient to get out of here to worry about us.

When Magenta has caught up with me, we jump off the table and push our way toward the door.

Finally, we're free.

* * *

 **District 8**

 **Felix Camacho**

* * *

Destiny and I make our way through the crowd. I'm a little overwhelmed by the great number of people crowding the streets, but not too offput. I like people.

"Are you nervous?" Destiny asks me. I shrug, unsure of how to answer the question.

"Not really," I admit. "This District is so large, the odds of me being picked are so slim, they're almost non-existant. I didn't even take out any tesserae this year, and over three quarters of our class took out at least one tessera. Are you scared?"

"A little bit," Destiny concedes. "It's always a little bit scary, you know? I mean, while the odds of my being picked are small, somebody _does_ get picked. And why shouldn't it be me? After all, I took out a lot of tesserae this year. You know - with Evan being sick and all, I had to do my part and chip in for the household."

I nod in agreement, but feel a lump form in my throat. I suddenly feel bad about stating my lack of fear. I'm not in a lot of danger, but Destiny kind of is. Her family is much less wealthy than mine is, and her little brother has a really bad illness that's using up all of their funds.

"So, anyway…" Destiny continues, dropping the somewhat uncomfortable conversation of money and her brother. "Have you told your parents that you're gay yet?"

I immediately shake my head.

"Why not?" Destiny asks, concerned.

"Why not?" I repeat. "You know how they are. Last night my dad made a _really_ offensive comment about homosexuality that I don't have the decency to repeat - I don't even want to imagine how they'd react if they discovered their own son preferred men."

"But what about when you actually meet a guy that you like and likes you back? What are you going to do then?" Destiny asks me. "You have to tell them at some point."

"I will!" I assure her. "But not yet. Not until I have to."

"Okay, then," Destiny shrugs. We've reached the front line of the check in, so she extends her hand for the Peacekeeper. The Peacekeeper roughly grabs it and jams a needle into the tip, drawing a considerable amount of blood. I get queasy just looking at it, and am forced to turn away while the scanner confirms her.

"Next."

I step up and hold out my hand. I shield my eyes so I won't have to look at the needle or the blood, because that kind of stuff makes my stomach feel upset. I feel a short, sharp pain in my fingertip and wince a bit.

"Felix Camacho," the machine confirms.

"Next."

The Peacekeeper waves me on, and moves onto checking in the next person in line. I walk into the pen and see that Destiny has waited for me, even though we'll have to split up in a moment, anyway.

"Good luck," I tell her, before stepping into the seventeen-year-old boy's section. She goes up to the front, with the rest of the eighteen-year-old girls, and disappears in the large crowd.

I guess I could look around for Wes, since he's also in this section, but the Reaping's about to start, and it would take forever to find him in this crowd.

Our escort, Akantha Blount, taps on the microphone, shocking me and sending vibrations of noise down Town Square. She smiles at us with her painted face, looking genuinely overjoyed to be in our District.

"District 8, welcome to the Reaping for the 248th Hunger Games!" she announces and the whole crowd tenses up. "This year, I feel like we'll have a Victor on our hands!"

"Just like she did last year?" a kid behind me whispers to his friend, who chuckles in response.

The escort shows us the dreadfully boring video and lists through our very limited number of Victors. By limited, I mean we have two. I think we have less than any other District. All we have is Lucretia Wolcott and Velvet Wayke, and neither are people to boast about. Both won their Games by just outlasting the other.

We used to have Rylan, but then he got shot while rebelling the Capitol. Now we can't even admire his Games strategy or technique without getting called out as potential rebels.

"Now, let's choose a young man and woman to represent us in the arena this year!" Akantha suggests. "Why don't we start with the boys?"

Akantha walks toward the boy's bowl at the edge of the stage and kills us all with anticipation by taking forever to choose a name. She finally decides on a slip of paper. She lifts it high above her head, displaying it for everyone to see, and walks back over to the mic.

"Let's see who it'll be…" Akantha mumbles as she unfolds the slip of paper. She looks at the name for a second before reading it aloud. "Felix Camacho."

I feel the breath freeze in my chest. _It was me…_ I can barely comprehend anything as a few hands push me into the aisle. I feel dizzy, but I won't faint. I can't, or else the Capitol will see me as weak. However, I have trouble regaining feeling of my legs and can't seem to walk up toward the stage.

A few Peacekeepers come along and begin dragging me along, but I brush them off.

"I've got it," I tell them shakily, and make my way up toward the stage feeling light-headed. I stand next to Akantha, who smiles and says something about choosing a female tribute.

Her voice seems faint, and I don't bother paying attention as she draws a name and calls up a girl from the thirteen-year-old section. I would feel bad that someone so young got chosen, but I'm still kind of pitying myself. After all, it's me that I have to look out for.

I don't want to die, I want to return home and live the rest of my life. Do you think someone like me could make it to the end?

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What did you think of Felix?**

 **2\. What did you think of Linen?**

 **3\. Who do you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will make it further?**

 **5\. What is your favorite day of the week? (Mine's Saturday).**

 **\- Lilah**


	16. District 9 Reaping: Solitude

**I'm seriously ready for these Reapings to be over. Most of them are boring to write, read, and review, but they're so important.**

 **Also, sorry if your tribute gets one of the 2nd POVs. I feel like I'm not able to represent the tribute well enough in those ones. I promise they'll each be more fleshed out in the pre-games.**

 **Anyway, here are Savanna (Hawkmaid) and Hadley (FairtaleCharming)!**

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Savanna Davison**

* * *

My life is one of solitude, but I don't feel alone. I have my friends to comfort me.

And yes, I may have made them up, but that doesn't make them any less real. They provide comfort and support and love for me, something I don't receive from anyone else, so they're technically the best friends I have.

Sam calls me insane.

Sam is _not_ someone I made up - he's my older brother. I don't think he likes me very much, but that's fine, because I'm not too fond of him, either. Sam is really confident in himself and his abilities, and seems unaware of the fact that everyone thinks he's a total jerk. I know for a fact that his girlfriend hates him - although, I don't think that would bother him too much. Sam has a lot of girlfriends, and never cares about any of them.

I lie in my bed, unsure of whether to rise and get ready for the Reaping or to go back to sleep, so I decide to just stay in bed, awake.

I look out the window at the sun beginning to stream in from the single pane of glass. The Reaping starts pretty late in our District - not super late, but it's one of the later Reapings out of all the Districts. Which means, I have plenty of time before the Reaping actually start.

I'm not sure what to do, though - we don't have a lot of entertainment options in my house. All I can really do is talk to my friends. Sometimes, I swim at a nearby stream, but I don't think I have time for that this morning.

The stream is something I stumbled upon years ago, while trying to avoid some bullies who were chasing me after school. District 9 is a pretty open, flat space but there are some areas pretty far back in the Districts where trees grow thickly and there are more plants than just wheat. People don't usually go back there, under the misconception it's against the law. Actually, we're fine as long as we don't venture outside of the fence.

A girl from my school who enjoys relentlessly teasing me, took things too far when started bringing my friends into this. She didn't say they weren't real, like most people do - instead she started "talking" to them in a really condescending tone. That really bothered me, so I made the mistake of kicking her shin.

I'm not very strong, so I doubt it hurt her at all, but she was pissed. She and her posse chased me off the school grounds and through practically the entire District. Since there were so many of them, one of them always seemed to notice when I tried to slip away. Eventually, we reached the forest area. I didn't hesitate to run in, but the other girls weren't so sure.

They decided not to venture any further, but instead wait for me to come out. I didn't really mind the area. I wasn't scared, since I had my friends to keep me company. We went fairly deep inside the forest. I couldn't exit, or else they would catch me. I didn't mind, though. Eventually, they'd get bored and go home. Until then, I'd just explore.

It was as exciting as I'd hoped. Adults were always lecturing us about how dangerous the forest was, but it seemed pretty mild to me. The bugs were gross, but in the area where I was, most of the wildlife had moved further into the woods and nothing exciting happened. I was honestly a bit disappointed. I had been hoping for more of an adventure.

Eventually, I stumbled upon a stream. It was narrow and mostly shallow, but there were one or two parts deeper than others. And there was one part that was waist-deep because of a dam some beavers built and I was able to wade in it. At first I was a little cautious of that part, because I heard I could get swept away (although that seemed unlikely) but after several returns to the stream, I taught myself to swim.

Now, I'm a pretty strong swimmer. I find the water soothing, especially since there's nobody else there. There's just me, my friends, and the occasional swarm of small fish swimming by.

I wish I could go there, now. Unfortunately, swimming's not on this morning's agenda.

"You should probably get ready, soon," Everett says. I turn to look at the faint image of him. If I look carefully, I can recognize that he's not there. But I want him to be, so I don't look carefully.

"I have hours until the Reapings start," I remind him.

"Sure," he shrugs, "but you'll want to get there early, right? Before the other kids get there?" I consider this - he makes a good point. I might get teased by kids if I have to walk with them there, or wait in line. Getting there early _would_ be best.

"I suppose," I sigh, and get out of bed. I walk over to my closet and begin sorting through the clothes. I'm having some difficulty since most of my clothes are too small or not that nice, so it's hard to find something fancy to wear to the Reaping. Luckily, Violet is really good at fashion so she can help me find something to wear.

Violet clucks her tongue in disappointment as she looks through my small supply of outfits.

"Is this it?" she asks in surprise. I nod, slightly ashamed. Violet spends a bit more time looking before selecting a pale yellow dress that's maybe one or two sizes too small. She holds it up against my figure, and decides that it fits. "Here," she says, "wear this." Violet throws the dress at me and disappears.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

"Cam, calm down," Jude hisses as we walk through the streets. Cameron ignores him and continues to gnaw at his nails in nervousness. I've told him a million times to leave his fingernails alone, but it always seems to go in one ear, out the other, so I've given up by now.

We're all a little anxious, but Cameron especially, since this is his first year in the Reaping. He's been dreading it for weeks, no matter how much Jude and I assure him that we won't be chosen. He didn't even take out any tesserae - Jude and I did, though. The orphanage in District 9 hands out very meager servings, so we never pass up the opportunity to get more food.

I'm getting kicked out of the orphanage next year, though. Here in District 9, there aren't a lot of orphans. Our jobs aren't exactly dangerous, aside from the occasional mishap, and very few people actually starve to death. As such, the orphanage isn't very packed so we're allowed to stay until we're eighteen years old.

I've heard in other Districts where there are lots of orphans, like 7 and 12, they kick them out at sixteen or even sooner. I'm glad they don't do that here, because when I leave, Jude and Cam have said that they're coming with me and right now they're old enough to get jobs. If I got kicked out at fourteen or something, then Jude and Cam would only be eleven and nine and I'd have to be the sole provider.

Jude and Cam aren't actually my brothers. We met in the orphanage when we were very young and practically grew up together, so it feels natural to call ourselves brothers. We feel like brothers and we act like brothers, so we basically are brothers. Although, we definitely don't look like brothers. We're all different races, so we're not really fooling anybody.

"You're going to be fine, Cam," I promise. I don't tell him that I _know_ he'll be fine, because in the unlikely event he got Reaped, I'd Volunteer. The same goes if Jude got Reaped. I know they would both discourage me from doing that, though, so I won't mention it.

Cam nods weakly, obviously not believing me. I hear his breath hitch as we approach the check-in area.

"Come on," I say, and gently pull him toward the Peacekeepers. The line is pretty long at this point, since we made the unfortunate mistake of coming at the exact time everyone else does.

"Does the needle hurt?" Cam asks nervously, craning his neck to see the process.

"Nah," Jude says. "It only hurts a bit and for a second. You'll be fine."

"Okay," Cam says, but there's still nervousness in his voice.

The line clears up and we make it to the front. Jude goes first, and quickly gets his finger pricked without even wincing. The lady scans his name, and he moves on. I nudge Cam toward her, next. He carefully holds his hand out, but the lady roughly yanks it toward her and jams a needle into the tip. Cam yelps a bit. She presses the bead of blood into her notebook and scans his name. He moves on.

I've gotten used to this process, so it's no big deal for me. I extend my hand, only jumping a bit when feeling the sharp pain. She presses my finger into the book and scans it.

"Hadley Moreau," the scanner confirms, and she waves me on. I see that Jude's already taken Cameron into his section, and they're both waiting in place. When I pass Cam, I give him a thumbs-up for encouragement, but he still seems terrified.

I slide into the seventeen-year-olds section. Nobody bothers moving aside to give me more room, so I'm forced to squeeze my way in. I'm slightly excited to find out who our escort will be, but that doesn't trump my fear. Our last escort, Ambrosius Light, has been our escort for years, until President Divine hired him as his assistant. I heard that we got a new escort, although nobody knows who it is.

I try to scan the stage for the escort, but I can't see them over everyone's heads. I'm fairly short, and I've got several tall people in front of me. I suppose I'll just have to wait until they introduce themselves.

The rest of the kids trickle in, and the escort decides that it's time to begin the Reaping. She finally up to the microphone.

"Hello, District Nine. My name's Phoebe Polluck, and I'm your new escort." She beams happily at us. Phoebe wears an extremely bright, colorful dress and an electric blue wig. The sun reflecting off of her outfit is blinding and I feel the need to shield my eyes.

"I'm excited to be mentoring this District. Before we choose the names, we'll review your previous Victors and watch a video from the Capitol!"

I completely zone out during this part. It's the same every year, and it's never interesting. When Phoebe's done listing our few Victors, she announces that she'll choose a male and female.

She starts with the female, drawing the name of a girl from the thirteen-year-old's section. I feel bad for her, since she's so young, but I'm too worried about the males. This could be Jude, Cam, or me.

Phoebe has apparently studied escort techniques because she uses the escorting strategy of creating suspense while we wait for her to draw a name. She selects one and carries it back over to the microphone. I feel a knot of dread settle in my stomach. I have a bad feeling… It's going to be Jude or Cameron.

"Hadley Moreau," Phoebe reads. My head pops up, surprised. One by one, kids locate me and step aside, creating a path for me to go up to the stage. I want to refuse to go up there, but I swallow this instinct and put on a stoic expression. I walk up to the stage with long strides, not wanting to walk down the aisle for longer than necessary. I take my spot next to Phoebe and the girl, suddenly feeling self-conscious about my height and scars.

I don't look into the crowd. I don't want to make eye contact with either of my brothers. That would just be painful, and might make me break down into tears on stage. That wouldn't be good for sponsors.

"Are there any sponsors?" Phoebe asks.

For a moment, I think I see a flicker of movement somewhere in the crowd and I get excited. Could someone want to replace me? But no one volunteers, and my last ray of hope is smashed.

"Well, then. District 9, let me introduce you your tributes for the 248th Hunger Games: Hadley Moreau and Savanna Davison!"

* * *

 **Sorry for taking SO long with this chapter. I have a few excuses, but not enough. Hopefully, I'll be back on schedule now that this chapter's posted.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What did you think of Hadley?**

 **2\. What did you think of Savanna?**

 **3\. Who did you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will make it further?**

 **5\. What's your favorite TV show? (or one of your favorites, because I know it's hard to pick. Mine's The Office).**

 **\- Lilah**


	17. Gemma Calvert I

**District 12**

 **Gemma Calvert**

 _ **Victor of the 245th Hunger Games**_

* * *

"Gemma?" I raise my head from my tangle of sheets and see my brother, Ethan, poke his head into my room. His eyebrows raise in surprise. "Were you still asleep?"

"No," I groan. "I just didn't want to get up."

"Well, the Reaping starts in an hour," he reminds me.

"I know," I say, rolling my eyes. I don't move.

"Um… are you going to get ready?" he asks.

"I guess," I shrug, which is tough to do since I'm lying on my back.

"Well… do it," he says, then walks away, being mindful enough to shut the door behind him.

It's just me and Ethan now. When I first got Reaped, there were five of us; Ethan, me, Mom, Dad, and my baby sitter, Ellie. We were all pretty close, and everyone was heartbroken when I was Reaped. That was three years ago when I was fourteen. We all just kind of accepted that I didn't have a chance and would die.

But somehow, I didn't. The Gamemakers made everyone believe I won by just hiding the whole time. The only people who know that they're lying are me, Ethan, the Gamemakers, and the mentors who were watching at the time I made a game-altering decision. At first, I had just hidden the whole time. I was in a forest arena that had a huge dam in the very center. Nobody had to worry about dehydration in those Games.

I mostly hid in the forest, but since everyone had access to water, the Games were moving slowly. There were fifteen people left and the game had been going on for _six days_. I knew that if it continued like this, I would starve before the Games ended.

The boy from District 3, a whiz with mechatronics, had been sponsored a bunch of machine-building supplies two days ago. He had been camped out only a few feet from my hiding spot, which was the hollowed-out inside of a tree. It was very difficult to see me because the entrance was at the top of the trunk. I slid down the trunk and just waited in there. There were a few knots and holes in there, so I could see him.

He had no idea of my presence and had been camped there for a few days. His sponsor gift had excited him a lot, and he built a bunch of cool, lethal-looking machines. I had no idea what they did, or how they worked, but they scared me. He eventually left. He didn't have a backpack, and he could only fit a few scraps into his pockets. So he hid the rest of the scraps under a rock (so no one else would find and use them) and left.

After a few hours, I exited the tree. I had been watching when he hid them, so I was able to take them back with me into the tree.

My dad was a miner, but he was really smart and good at building things. He was one of the people who would make bombs for blowing up rocks in the mines. He wasn't supposed to teach anyone else, but of course, he taught Ethan and me how to build bombs from a young age. I think he was teaching Ethan so that Ethan could have a useful job when he got older, and I just wandered in and wanted to learn, too.

As it turned out, I had a much better mind for mechanics than Ethan. I quickly grasped the concept and became quite good at making bombs out of few materials. Of course, I could never explode them and wasn't allowed to make them, either, but nobody found out. And it actually came in handy.

I had very few materials, but I had enough. I built a larger bomb than I ever had before. The ones in the mines (that my dad made) had to be small, so they would only explode a small portion of the rock and not cause any cave-ins. Those were the ones I had experience building. But those wouldn't be any good. They would barely do anything.

I spent over a day working on it, but I finally managed to create a large bomb. I was satisfied with my work, but a little nervous, because I had never actually exploded anything before.

At midnight the next night, I snuck over to the dam (the whole Career pack was very close by, although the guard had fallen asleep). I planted the bomb in the very center of the bridge. I would have preferred for it to be farther down, but I couldn't reach it. I had set a long countdown for building it, so I had enough time to escape. I ran out of there the minute I lit it and raced as fast as I could across the bridge. I was back on land and dashing into the forest when I think I woke a Career.

It was the boy from District 4, I think. I'm not positive, because I didn't get a good look and didn't rewatch my games to find out, but I think it was him. He was the youngest, close to my age because nobody volunteered for him. I think the chosen volunteer must have chickened out. He looked up, and we made eye contact.

It was dark, but I think he smiled at me. Not like the creepy smiles some Careers do, that look like they want to kill you or feast on your flesh. Not the confident, arrogant smiles. This was a smile of kindness. He raised on hand and brought it to his lips, making the quiet symbol. I think he was saying he wouldn't tell the other Careers. He looked around, nervous, then started to stand up.

I didn't get to find out what he was doing. At that moment, the dam exploded.

It wasn't a huge explosion, because the bomb wasn't that large. It made a noise that awoke the rest of the Careers, and a large crack appeared in the dam. Then the water pressure got the best of it and broke through, slamming water down on the Careers. I ran out of there.

The dam broke and flooded the bottom half of the arena. Since so many people were camped at the edge of it, a lot of kids died. The death total was eight, including all but one of the Career pack, who miraculously survived. This landed me in the Final 7 in a matter of minutes.

For some reason, the Capitol never showed that it was me who exploded the dam. They acted like they had planned it all along, which wasn't hard to believe since the Games had been moving so slow.

I later realized that the Capitol must have viewed my act, instead of strategic, as a rebellious move. Exploding the arena _has_ been used that way in the past. They did let me win, though, although I didn't do anything for the rest of the Game. I just hid in my tree until everyone else died. I thought they had just let it slide when I survived, but then I returned home.

Mom, Dad, and Ellie were all dead. Executed. Poisoned. Ethan was the only one left, and I think that's only so they can threaten me. Make me do things, or else they'll take away Ethan, too.

I didn't even do anything. I didn't explode that dam out of rebellion, I just wanted to make it home to my family. And now, most of them are dead. Thanks to that dam problem.


	18. District 10 Reaping: Labor

**Thank you to lionkingfactsguy3 (Buck) and Anna Banana (Arabella) for these tributes!**

 **Also, sorry Anna Banana, for changing Arabella's age. I had a lot of thirteen-year-old girls but no twelve-year-old girls so I lowered it. I hope that's okay.**

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Buck Hayford**

* * *

I've finally finished carving the meat for today. The carved carcass of the cow rests on the table, with the innards off in a pile to one side and all of the available meat off to another. I use my forearm to wipe the sweat off my brow. I can finally go home now and get ready for the Reaping.

I've been cooped up in this tiny butchering room for hours now, and it gets really stuffy in here, especially on a hot day like today. District 10 usually has really warm winter, which is lucky, since it's much more difficult for us to take care of farm animals and get our product to the Capitol on time when it's colder. I don't really have to worry about that because the butcher pays me whether he has an animal for me to chop up or not, but it's generally better for our District.

I'm not supposed to rush with my job and be careful with things, but I'm really anxious to get home to my mother. She suffers from dementia and doesn't really take care of herself anymore. It's up for me to support us and take care of her. I'm always really nervous when I'm not home to help her. I'm afraid something may happen to her if I'm not around to help out, so it's really tough for me to be away from her.

When I'm done carving the animal, my only remaining job is to pack it up and deliver it to the Peacekeepers. The butcher also keeps some to sell, but he also has to give some to the Capitol for free in order to stay in business.

I take the wax paper from the wall and unroll it. I clumsily use string to pack the meat together and wrap it up in the paper. The wax string is to keep it bunched together; it's much easier to transport this way. If I were to not use the string, the whole thing would fall apart during the delivery and both myself and the butcher would get in trouble.

When the slabs of meat are secure and wrapped up in the wax paper I lift it onto my wide shoulder. I grunt, straining under the effort of carrying something so heavy. I'll be able to manage, though. I'm really strong and have done this loads of times before. I carry the package out of my little carving room and into the main shop, where the rest of the meat is displayed and customers buy it. It's currently empty, save for the butcher, who is tossing out expired items. The shop is closed on Reaping day, since nobody's really in a celebratory mood and it's respectful for the children who get Reaped.

I nod hello to him, and he waves back. The butcher and I have gotten quite close over the years. He's sort of like a dad to me. My actual father was executed years ago just for demanding help. I used to be furious about it, but my anger has faded along with a lot of my memories of my father.

I exit the shop, still hauling the heavy package on my shoulder. It starts to slip off, so I'm forced to stop walking while I readjust it. I'd get in a lot of trouble if I dropped this. My bike is leaning against the side of the shop, chained to a post (of course). There are a lot of thieves in District 10, especially in this part, the town part.

District 10 is divided into three parts; Town, where the buildings are tightly packed and small and smog clouding the skies from the factories, this is where the middle-class and merchants live. It's close to all of the shops, but there's also a lot of thieves, because the homeless live here, as well. There's also the farms where all of the rich people live. These are ranches on the outskirts, with rolling hills and green grass. Sometimes, in the spring, it looks very beautiful and on one or two occasions, I've seen Capitolians visit it for a little vacation. I've heard District 4 is a much more popular destination, but District 10 in the spring is very nice. Traveling is very rare, though, because of the expense, even for Capitolians. Finally, the last part of District 10 is where the poor people, like me, live. This is just past town, but it's still an unfortunately long walk to get to Town Square and all of the shops. The buildings here are even smaller and beat up. Nobody likes to live there.

I unchain my bicycle from the post and straddle it whilst securing the meat to the package carrier with a few feet of rope. When I'm certain that the meat is well-attached, I pedal off.

The streets are surprisingly occupied, considering it's a vacation for most people and the Reaping doesn't begin for another few hours. I was hoping they would be empty, so that I wouldn't have to worry about running into pedestrians. But it looks like it won't be that way, so I'm forced to swerve about, trying not to knock into anybody. I hear some people shout at me in anger to go slower or be careful, but I don't really have an option. I've learned that if I pedal at a leisurely pace, some thief won't waste a second before snatching whatever's on my package carrier. And although my knots are good, they're only meant to keep the package in place. Someone could easily snap through them.

I hurry my pedaling, for no reason other than going slowly down these streets make me feel uneasy. I want to get to the Peacekeeper office soon, so I can relax.

I speed into the office, skidding to a halt right in front of a Peacekeeper.

"Delivery," I explain, panting, out of breath. The Peacekeeper points to the entrance to the building, and I walk my bike inside.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

"Arabella Cantros," the escort, Renee Klaiar, announces. I blink, unsure whether I heard her correctly. Could she have really said my name? It doesn't seem likely, considering I'm only twelve years old and I didn't even take out any tesserae. My name was only in there once… out of all of the District 10 youth, how could it be me that was chosen?

I look to my left and see my friends, Breanna and Taylor look at me in sad shock. Taylor covers her hand over her mouth and tears begin to stream down her face. _It was me…_

"Arabella?" Renee repeats, scanning the crowd for movement. I take a deep breath and skip out into the aisle. I might as well appear confident, despite the sinking dread I'm feeling in my gut.

"Here I am!" I say in a cheerful tone, skipping up the aisle. I guess I'm also going for the weakling angle, as well, because I sound ridiculous right now. My enthusiasm stands out more against the grim silence of the audience. I make my way up to stage. My eyes meet with the camera pointed at me from atop a rooftop, and I smile and wave at it.

"I'm glad to see your confidence," Renee remarks, although there's an obvious disappointment in her voice. It's clear she was hoping for a more powerful tribute than myself. I can't read her thoughts, but I'm guessing that she must be taking in the similarities between me and last year's tribute, Lexi. We've both got the same enthusiasm, although I didn't volunteer. Renee doesn't hide her emotions easily, and I can tell she's already marking me off as a bloodbath tribute.

 _Don't count me out just yet, Renee,_ I think, still grinning ear to ear. I'm not deluded into thinking the odds are on my side, but I'm definitely not as stupid or as oblivious as she's expecting.

"Are there any volunteers?" Renee asks, scanning the crowd.

I'm not going to lie. A part of me wishes one of my sisters, Eva or Dixie would volunteer. We're pretty close and they both stand much more of a chance than me - Eva's smart and Dixie's super athletic, so both have a fighting chance. In fact, I'm almost expecting one of them to Volunteer for me.

But not a movement is made. I can't see Dixie, but Eva's eighteen and right up at the front. She was looking at me, but her eyes immediately dart away when she sees that I've spotted her. She doesn't say or do anything.

"All right," Renee says. "No volunteers. Now, let's draw a boy, shall we?"

I don't blame Eva and Dixie for staying quiet during the call for Volunteers. Siblings don't often Volunteer for one another, even if they're as close as we are. But a small part of me kind of expected one of them would step in. I guess that was an unfair assumption.

Renee rejoins me next to the mic, now holding the slip of paper that holds the name of my District partner. She unfolds it quickly, not wasting any time to increase anticipation or anything like that.

"Buck Hayford," she reads. Heads all swivel every which way, searching for the unlucky boy. The unlucky boy emerges from the eighteen-year-old section, and I already know that I'm in trouble.

He's six feet tall, more than two feet taller than me, and is very well-built. He looks really strong, and his casual farm clothing suggests he's no stranger to hard work. I glance nervously at Renee, who must be thinking along the same lines as me, because she looks thrilled.

Buck storms up through the crowd, appearing very angry. He stands on the other side of Renee, crossing his arms, angrily.

"Are there any volunteers?" Renee asks, cautiously. I faintly recall that last year she got a promising tribute, then Lexi volunteered. I'm sure she doesn't want the same blunder to occur, or else she'll never be promoted.

But, luckily for her, the crowd doesn't move an inch. Nobody steps in to replace Buck.

"Very well," Renee says, obviously pleased. "Shake hands!"

I turn to Buck, smiling, with a hand outstretched. He looks hesitant, and slightly suspicious of me, as if _I_ hold some sort of threat to him, but decides I'm safe and shakes my tiny hand with his large, calloused one. He even nods politely at me, which I suppose is supposed to be a kind gesture.

"District 10, may I introduce to you your tributes for the 248th Hunger Games; Arabella Cantros and Buck Hayford!"

The crowd claps politely. Buck lets go of my hand and I grin at the crowd until I feel like my face is going to split in two. I wave at them, frantically, waving at the cameras, too. The fight for sponsors begins immediately, and I don't want to fall behind.

* * *

 **Also, I've noticed a decline in reviews. I suppose some of it has to do with my updates becoming less frequent, but I just want to remind you guys that if you read, a little review would be appreciated. Even a small one to prove that you're reading would be nice. Of course, I love long reviews, but a short review is better than none at all! If I don't think you're reading, your tribute will probably be killed off in the Bloodbath.**

 **I also want to let you guys know that while I've been slacking off when it comes to writing, lately, my updates will become much more frequent. I get out of school in a few days, and I'll have a lot of time to write during summer break. I'm hoping to be done with the Reaping by the end of the week.**

 **I'm also a bit behind on sponsor points. I'm not sure when I last added them, so I'm probably just going to pick a random chapter and go from there to add on points. If you notice a mistake with your points, just alert me and I'll fix it. Polls will also be hard to keep track of. Apologies.**

 **For those of you who have a tribute in the Capitol Games, I'm going to apologize some more. I haven't updated The Capitol Games in a while, mostly because when I have an opportunity or desire to write, I focus on this story. At the moment, Rapids is my top priority. I'm planning on getting the rest of these Reaping out of the way and resume writing the Capitol Games when I'm in the pre-games. All of the Reapings are stacking up, and I have no desire to write twenty-four in a row.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What did you think of Buck?**

 **2\. What did you think of Arabella?**

 **3\. Who did you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will make it further?**

 **5\. What's your favorite band? (I don't have a favorite, but I like Imagine Dragons and P!ATD)**

 **\- Lilah**


	19. District 11 Reaping: Voices

**I really enjoyed writing for these two and I'm excited to see more of them - thanks to Tiger outsider for Yael and MonkeyPower435 for Kade. I hope I did both of them justice!**

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Yael Harident**

* * *

I tighten my knees to my chest and rock back and forth. Back and forth, back and forth. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to avoid the voice inside my head. I painfully slam the heels of my hands to block my ears, as if that would stop me from hearing these thoughts. The hypnotizing voice comes from inside my head, not outside, and blocking sound won't stop anything.

Nevertheless, I squeeze my hands tighter against my ears. _Avoid the thoughts._

I crack my eyes open, which is clearly a mistake, because I see the innocent rabbit again. It doesn't notice me. It's sitting before a bush, a furry lump, eating something. It doesn't notice me, which I regret, because if it did it would be able to outrun me and I wouldn't be able to hurt it, no matter what the voice inside my head tells me to do.

The voice inside my head is hypnotizing and controlling, always telling me to do bad things. I don't want to do bad things. I want to be a good person, like my parents. I want to be kind and charitable like them and never lay a finger on anyone, even if they deserve it. But I can't even keep my hands off of innocent people, because of this damn evil voice in my head.

I started hearing it when I was fourteen. Before then, I was a good child. Shy and quiet, and maybe not as good as I should have been or as good as my parents expected me to be, but I never hurt anyone. Then the voice came along, telling me to do bad things to people and animals.

I didn't want to do bad things. I knew they were innocent and hurting them was wrong, but I couldn't avoid the voice. At first, I could resist the temptation, but the voice got louder and louder and resisting it got harder and harder.

I lost a finger two years ago when I finally couldn't resist the voices and attempted to kill a rabbit. I succeeded, but it fought back and gave me a nasty bite on my thumb. I couldn't tell my parents that I had been bitten by a rabbit, because I wasn't allowed to be in the forest and I couldn't tell them about the awful thoughts that plagued my mind. But the bite got infected, and when my parents finally noticed and sent me to the doctor, the only choice was to amputate it.

Now the empty space next to my left pointer finger serves as a reminder. I can't resist the awful thoughts that tempt me. I can't avoid or ignore the evil thoughts in my mind. If they tell me to hurt someone, I will hurt them. If they tell me to kill someone, I probably couldn't ignore it.

I haven't killed anyone yet, but I know it's only a matter of time. The thoughts just get stronger the more time that passes. The only way to slow it down is by following its orders. That's why I go into the forest. I have to hunt smaller creatures so that it will be long until I have to hunt a large animal… or worse, a human. I know it's wrong to hurt anything, but beetles and rats are better than cats and people.

Unfortunately, if I see a creature like a rabbit going by, I still can't resist. My brain will tell me to hurt it, and I can't stop myself. I never can.

The rabbit in front of me turns its head, sniffs, and almost looks at me. But it doesn't. It still doesn't know I'm here. But I can't warn it, because my body won't allow me. I open my mouth to scream, hopefully scaring it away, but no sound comes out. I can't do it.

I completely freeze up when I hear the loud, obvious crunching of leaves under feet behind me. Somebody is coming down here… what are the odds? This is the middle of the forest, how could they possibly have stumbled across me, especially when entering the forest is illegal?

The walking stops almost directly behind me, and for a moment I'm completely convinced I've been discovered. Then I hear a boy yell out, "Hurry up!" and he continues along, not seeming to have noticed me.

I can't find myself to move, even my head. He finally trots into my line of vision. It's a small, slim, dark-skinned boy who's probably twelve years old or somewhere in that age range. He hops along, then turns once more and yells for someone to hurry up.

"Okay, Hunter, jeez!" a girl shouts in response, and comes bounding past me and over to the boy, who must be called Hunter. For once, I'm glad that I'm concealed in a bush and very difficult to spot. I recognize the girl. She's in my class. I think her name is Rosa or Rosemary, something like that.

"Are we close to the blackberry patch?" Hunter asks Rose-something, and she shrugs.

"Why would I know?" she asks. Hunter gives her an irritated look and she sighs. "Probably."

"Well I'm hungry," Hunter groans.

"So is everyone in our District."

"Not the Peacekeepers." With that, Hunter skips off and Rose-something follows him. They walk further through the trees until I can no longer see them. I _can_ still hear them, though, because they are both making a humongous racket. I don't relax just yet. Luckily, the rabbit did run away at some point when the kids were walking through, so I no longer have to worry about hurting it. "Oh, shoot, I think I dropped my lucky rock!" Hunter shouts.

The next thing I know, Hunter comes running back toward me, scanning the ground for "his lucky rock".

"It doesn't matter, Hunter, let's just go!" Rose-something yells from farther in the woods.

"I'll find it fast!" Hunter promises. He stops only a few feet away from me to pick up a rock that I suppose is his lucky one. There's a terrifying instant when I feel the urge to hurt him. To kill him, but not before torturing him.

 _Kill him, Yael._ The voice says. _Grab him, before he can run. You know you want to. You want to hurt him._

I bite my lip with painful force, trying to resist, but I can feel myself getting ready to pounce. I won't be able to stop myself.

"Hunter, come on!"

"Okay!" he shouts, exasperated, and runs off before I can jump out. I breathe a sigh of relief as I feel my body relax, and the voice disappears. That was close. But I know that one day, I won't be able to ignore the voice, anymore.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Kade Anderson**

* * *

I stroll into Town Square, immediately searching around for my friends. I don't see them, but I suppose I don't need to, because a moment later, I feel a body crash into me. I stumble forward, annoyed with whoever carelessly slammed into me, but when I turn around to see who it is, it's one of my closest friends, Packer.

Packer laughs, and I playfully shove him. I'm pretty strong though, so he falls backward. Packer only laughs, obviously uninjured, and hops right back up. He looks like he's about to push me in retaliation, but he doesn't get a chance to, because our other friend, Kaleb, steps between us. I'm not too fond of Kaleb, because he's a bit of a know-it-all and is way too serious. But he does let me copy his homework, which is the only reason he's still in our group.

"Stop, you guys," he says in a nasal, know-it-all voice. "We have to check in. We're already running late. And you shouldn't horseplay in such a crowded area."

"'You shouldn't horseplay in such a crowded area'," Packer repeats in a poor imitation of Kaleb's voice. It still causes the rest of us to laugh, though. The rest of the group has arrived at this point.

"'You should never step out of line and you should follow all rules'," I say, plugging my nose so I sound like Kaleb. Kaleb frowns and crosses his arms, but the rest of our group howls with laughter. We all begin joining in, imitating Kaleb in imitation of his voice.

"'Don't touch my encyclopedia!'"

"'Pay attention when the teacher is speaking!'"

"'Treat others how you want to be treated!'"

"'I am very dorky and a nerd! Also, my mom is very hot!'" That last one was from Derin, who may be the most athletic, but definitely isn't the smartest member of our group. The taunts die down and we all exchange confused looks before looking at Derin for an explanation.

"I never say that," Kaleb says, confused.

"Yeah, but your mom is very hot," Derin says, obviously misunderstanding what we were doing.

"How about we go check in?" Wren suggests, and we all agree. We ignore Derin's comment and all head over to the check-in area.

"I call first!" I shout, and rush ahead of the rest of the group to be the first in line. There are cries of disappointment, but no one argues. They all line up behind me. There are not many people in front of me, since we're kind of late, so I triumphantly give the Peacekeeper my hand when he gestures for it. I give my friends a smug look which is quickly replaced with a wince as the Peacekeeper sharply pricks my fingertip.

He roughly smears my blood into a booklet and uses a device to scan it.

"Kade Anderson," the device says. The Peacekeeper waves me past, and I only have to wait a few seconds before Derin, who is the next person in line, gets waved through, as well. Derin and I don't bother waiting for the rest of our friends and walk ahead to the seventeen-year-olds' section.

As we pass groups of children, Derin calls them a bunch of rude names which makes me laugh. One thirteen year old looks so terrified about the Reaping that when Derin calls him something too rude to repeat, he bursts into tears. Derin and I walk along, keeling over in laughter.

I reach the seventeen-year-old's section in a fairly good mood, confident I won't be Reaped and excited for the post-Reaping party Derin is hosting tonight; especially because Fiana will be there, and I'm hoping tonight will be the night I can finally woo her over. She may have rejected me before (which is surprising, because most girls are ecstatic when I ask them out) but I'm sure she'll agree to be my girlfriend soon enough.

"Hey Kade," a girl giggles, skipping over to my shoulder. I sigh. This reminds me of another problem. My current girlfriend, Makena. She's nice and pretty hot, but she's a bit of an idiot, _super_ annoying, and something about her has begun to repulse me.

"Hi," I grunt, not budging when she wraps her arms around me and plants a kiss on my cheek. I'm definitely going to break up with her after the Reaping. She doesn't seem to notice my obvious disinterest in her, and begins talking at high-speed about how excited she is for Derin's party tonight. When the rest of our group comes over, they all smirk when they see me trying to ignore her. They don't like her, either, but enjoy teasing me about her.

"Hey, Kade," Packer says, smirking. "You look like you're having an interesting conversation. I wish I could join you."

"Why don't you?" Makena asks enthusiastically. Packer's smug smile immediately drops.

"I would, but I have to do something…" he stammers.

"The Reaping starts soon, silly. What would you possibly need to do?" Makena giggles.

"Not soon enough," I mutter under my breath. Packer is forced to join our "conversation", which is just Makena talking, and us half-heartedly listening and nodding every now and then.

Finally, our escort taps on the mic and Makena is forced to return to the girls' section. Packer and I sigh in relief.

"District 11, Welcome to the Reaping for the 248th Hunger Games! I am very excited to represent your District and tributes in this years' Games. I really do hope we get a Victor this year -"

"Wait for it…" Wren whispers in my ear.

"Because then I might get promoted and escape from your grubby little District!" the escort says enthusiastically, grinning wide as though she didn't just insult us.

"There it is," Wren grins triumphantly, and I snicker.

"For those of you who don't remember me, I am Marcellina Dent!" Marcellina flashes us a smile, revealing her teeth, which, for some strange Capitol fashion, have been dyed hot pink.

Marcellina makes us watch the same boring video that we've watched every year, and she also lists our previous mentors. We have a whopping four; Chiara Ferris, who is very old and can't remember anything, Till Burrows, who is actually respected because he is pretty funny and is pretty strong, Robin Paris, who is pretty smart but still hasn't mentored anyone successfully, and Callahan Dwyer, who is our youngest Victor and is my personal favorite.

"Now, let's see who will be representing this wonderful District in the 248th Hunger Games!" Marcellina says. "How about we shake things up and start with the boys?"

"What happened to our District being grubby and undesirable?" Wren asks.

Marcellina trots over to the male's bowl and carefully plucks a name from the bottom of the bowl. I don't pay much attention to this part. She brings it over to the microphone and unfolds it. I wonder how Makena will take it when I break up with her later? I don't care much about her feelings, but it makes me uncomfortable when people cry -

"Kade Anderson." Marcellina's voice echoes throughout Town Square. My eyes widen, and I gulp. My friends stare at me with wide eyes and gaping mouths. I can't feel my legs.

Suddenly, I hear a high-pitched wail from the females' section. It's unmistakably Makena. This is what reminds me that I have to get up on stage. I roll my eyes, then put on a charming smile and walk up to the stage, taking position next to Marcellina. From here, I can see Makena sobbing. I resist the urge to tell her to shut up. She's not making anything better, and is clearly being overdramatic. We've only been going out for a week, she needs to calm down.

Marcellina asks for volunteers and unsurprisingly, nobody steps up. I don't pay attention when she draws the girls' name, but I _do_ pay attention when she reads it and the girl comes out of the seventeen-year-olds section.

Her name is Yael Harident, and she doesn't look too weak. She looks fairly strong and is pretty tall, but the way she holds herself suggests she isn't someone to worry about. Her head is ducked low, and her hands in fists at her side. She shuffles up to the stage, looking very nervous and somewhat distracted.

"Are there any Volunteers?" Marcellina asks. Nobody steps up for Yael, either. "In that case, shake hands."

I hold out my hand for Yael to shake, but it takes a long time before she unclenches her right hand and shakily takes mine. I begin to start shaking her hand, when she suddenly grips _way_ too tight. Like, I'm-worried-she'll-break-my-hand tight. I yelp, and yank my hand back. She doesn't let go at first, then she shakily releases it, which for some reason, looks like it takes a lot of effort for her. I furrow my eyebrows and stare at her with a gaping mouth, nursing my hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen of District 11, allow me to introduce your tributes for the 248th Hunger Games: Yael Harident and Kade Anderson!"

I don't know a lot about my District partner, but she's definitely not someone to ignore. I'm a brave person, but there's something off-putting about her that makes me a bit fearful.

* * *

 **Only one more Reaping to do! I hope I can find the motivation to get it done soon, so we can move onto the interesting stuff.**

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What did you think of Yael?**

 **2\. What did you think of Kade?**

 **3\. Who do you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will do better?**

 **5\. What is your favorite sport? (Mine is Quidditch)**

 **\- Lilah**


	20. District 12 Reaping: Sheep

**Thanks to DMonkey1607 for Quentin and CallmeLegend for Rachel!**

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Quentin Fredericus**

* * *

 _I'm running through the forest. Behind me, fire devours the trees and chases after me. I leap over a burning log and almost trip over a root. I take a deep breath, and begin coughing. The smoky air burns my lungs. I speed up my pace, but this only makes me breathe harder, forcing more smoke into my lungs. Unable to get oxygen, my pace begins to slow._

 _My foot snags on a root and I fall forward, on my stomach. My heads pounds and I begin coughing so hard, I'm confident I'll cough up a lung. The smoke becomes denser, until I can barely see two feet in front of me. The heat grows, and I know the fire is approaching fast. I begin to crawl forward, away from the fire, but my body is getting weaker. It won't be long before I can't move at all._

 _I reach out my hand to crawl forward, but my hand plummets into water. I pull the rest of my body forward, thankful for the cool liquid, but then I feel sharp, scaly fingers wrap around my wrist. I instinctively pull away, but they yank me toward the water. I fall flat on my stomach and am helpless as they tighten in a bone-crushing grip and pull me into the lake._

 _I get pulled down, deeper than should be possible. My already-oxygen-deprived lungs are begging for air, but I'm underwater and have no way of getting it. I try opening my eyes to see what's pulling me, but the water is inky-black and stings my eyes, so I squeeze them back shut._

 _The thing pulling me speeds up until we're shooter through the water, deeper and deeper, down to what should be the approaching ground. My head and lungs are throbbing, and I know that soon I'll pass out. I need oxygen. I flail about, hoping I might be able to escape from the creature's grip, but it tightens even more and I'm pretty sure something cracks._

 _I open my eyes again, carefully this time, and see that we're approaching the muddy floor of the lake. For some reason, I feel relief. Maybe when we reach the bottom of the lake, the creature will let me go? But the creature doesn't stop, and pulls me through the thick mud. I'm forced to shut my stinging eyes again._

 _The creature pulls me around in the mud, until I finally feel air on my face. My eyes open and my mouth begins gulping at the air, thankful for the oxygen. When I've breathed enough air, I look around at my surroundings. I'm in the Capitol… or what looks like the Capitol, based on the few images I've seen of it. I've just emerged from a fountain._

 _I look around, and notice that all of the citizens are staring at me. They don't look surprised, but are watching me like I am some sort of show. The hand holding onto my wrist releases, and I look over to see what was holding me. It's the escort, the one who just started escorting, so they stuck her in our District. She's slim and has a tiny frame. Her eyes are huge and the irises are silver, which really freaks me out. Her long, styled fingernails made marks on my wrist and even drew a bit of blood. She smiles evilly at me, then disappears into the crowd._

 _I try to walk away, toward a building, but a crowd of people group together, blocking me. I try to walk toward another building, but people block me again. I step backwards, back toward the fountain, but trip over something lying on the ground. I fall back, skinning my elbow, but I barely notice that, because I'm too freaked out by what I tripped over._

 _It's Kana Ashwood - the District 12 female from last year's Hunger Games. Her body is lying in a puddle of blood and her detached head is a few feet away. I feel a wave of nausea come over me, but I don't vomit. I realize that this is the exact place where she died. I'm not in the Capitol, I'm in last year's arena. She died by a fountain, which is the one I just emerged from. Which means that the statue in the center of the fountain must be -_

 _I turn around, and sure enough, it's the king. He seems motionless, until his head turns to look down at me. He grins, creepily, and lifts a large stone foot. He slams it down toward me -_

I wake up, breathing heavily. That was a very vivid nightmare, and I'm still sweating. I instinctively begin inspecting my wrist, but there are no marks or any sign that it was clutched onto as the new escort dragged me to the bottom of a lake. After finding no marks, I'm satisfied, and am able to relax. The dream was vivid, but it was just a dream. I'm safe.

I sit up, my back aching. I guess that's what I get when I spend all night in a tree, though.

I live in the forest. I'm not really hiding from anything, though, I just like to be with animals. My parents were very strict and never allowed me to go into the forest or play with animals or anything. They weren't mean, just super strict. They said they loved me and wanted to keep me safe, which was why they had so many rules forbidding me from doing things that I really wanted to do. I didn't doubt them, but I still wanted to go into the forest. So I ran away.

I live here, now. I rarely go into District 12, only on special occasions, or when it's necessary. One of the special occasions is Reaping Day, because attendance is mandatory and I don't have a choice. I rarely need to go into town, though, because I've learned to take care of myself out here.

There's a stream nearby, where I can bathe and drink from. The forest is stocked with plenty of berry bushes and edible plants, which keep me on a full stomach. I never eat animals, though - animals are my friends, and I would never kill one. Even the thought of eating something once alive makes me gag.

All of the socialization I need comes from animals. I can't technically have conversations with them, but I'll talk and sometimes I think they know what I'm saying. I also feed them, because then they allow me to stroke their fur or get really close to them. It's not like they come back to me and are my permanent companions or anything (this isn't a fairytale) but they don't need to, because there are so many animals out here.

I've heard that most District 12 citizens are terrified of the forest. That makes me laugh, because I can't imagine being afraid of this place. It's where I feel safe. As long as I'm here, I'll be alright.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Rachel Ivy**

* * *

My nerves are jumping all over the place. I _do not_ want to be chosen for the Hunger Games. My life may not be perfect, but I am terrified of the Hunger Games and would much rather be in this grubby District than an arena filled with bloodthirsty Careers.

The Peacekeeper pricks my fingertip, which hurts a bit, but I have a pretty high pain tolerance. He roughly grabs my finger, turns it over, and slams it into a booklet where I see a bunch of other bloodstains. This is really gross, and once again makes me question why the Capitol uses this method to check us in. The Peacekeeper scans my blood-print with a little device.

"Rachel Ivy," the automated voice states. The Peacekeeper makes a mark in his book, then waves me past.

I walk past the nervous kids and take my place in the fifteen-year-olds' section. I feel like we're being herded like sheep into here. After all, we are in a pen, awaiting slaughter. When I look up at the rooftops, I see a bunch of cameramen perched there, like vultures.

After everyone is inside, the escort introduces herself and makes us watch a video about the Capitol and the Hunger Games. It's the same one they force us to watch every year, so I tune out. Next, she takes us through our living Victors. We only have three, which is no big feat.

"Now, let's see who will be representing the female," the escort says, and walks over to the girls' bowl.

The escort waves her hand above the girl's bowl, tauntingly. A smile plays upon her lips when she looks out into the crowd, to see all of us so nervous. She knows that we're all terrified. People in District 12 aren't generally known for being very brave, which is why so many of us girls are terrified right now. Also, District 12 is _the_ smallest District, which means each of our odds is pretty slim.

She begins digging around in the bowl, fishing around for a slip, and her hand finally pops out holding a slip of paper. She looks at it, unsatisfied, and much to my annoyance, puts it back in the bowl and begins rooting around for another one. She chooses another one, but she looks satisfied this time and carries it over to the microphone. She stands in front of the mic and unfolds the paper at a purposefully slow pace.

"Rachel Ivy," she reads. I feel my whole body freeze. I'm not very well known, but one girl recognizes me and steps aside. After that, every other person in my vicinity sees who she's staring at and moves aside from me. I look up at one of the building's roofs, and see a cameraman perched on top, like a vulture, aiming his camera toward me. I can't feel my legs or any of my body. I can't seem to convince myself to move. Finally, the girl behind me sort of nudges me, and I start walking out into the aisle.

In other years, I've seen kids pretend to be confident or even smile, but I don't understand how they do that. I can't even manage a stoic expression. My fear is evident on my face, and as I shuffle up to the stage, I feel tears begin to roll down my cheeks. Nobody says anything, I can't hear any tears.

My family loves me, but they don't react. My mom's memory is almost completely destroyed, so she'll have no idea what's going on and my dad will be too drunk to understand anything. Then, my brother, he's in prison for illegal trading, even though he only did it to help my mother. Only criminals who are eligible come to the Reaping, and my brother is over eighteen so he isn't here. I expect he's upset in his cell, though, because they still televise it and require the inmates to watch.

I feel the tears run heavier as I walk up the steps to the stage. _The Capitol must think I'm useless_. I'm _not_ useless, though. I know stuff. My brother taught me about poisons, so I know about those. The Capitol will just think I'm a useless little girl, though, and any possible sponsors will mark me off as a Bloodbath.

But if the Capitol thinks that, maybe the other tributes will do that as well? Maybe they'll believe I'm weak and just ignore me. I could get through this. I'm not useless, but nobody will pay any attention to me. And if I win… I could help my mother?

The sudden optimism makes me feel a bit better, but my tears don't stop. I suppose that's good, though, because if I'm going for the weakling strategy, then I'll want to keep crying. I stand next to the escort, who barely glances at me. I can tell that she's marking me off as a Bloodbath, which is a good start.

I pretend to be too scared to notice the escort draw the male, but I'm actually fully engaged. I need to see who my District partner will be. If he's strong and gullible, I'll align myself with him and manipulate him into protecting me. If he's weak, I'll ignore him. If he's strong but has that untrustworthy look about him, I'll keep away.

The escort draws the name of a boy named Quentin Fredericus. A boy emerges from the eighteen-year-old section, looking very shocked. He looks pretty strong, but he's covered in dirt and his clothes are all tattered, so I'm assuming he's either homeless or dirt-poor. He's strong, but I'm not sure whether to trust him or not, yet. I'll have to find out more about him.

Quentin stands on the other side of the escort, and I notice that he's shaking. He must be scared. He also leans away from the escort as well, as if he's scared of _her_.

"Are there any volunteers?" the escort asks. I look, hopefully, out into the crowd. The escort waits a moment, but nobody moves. The audience seems to stand even stiller than usual, like statues. I'm sure they're worried that any small movement might be interpreted as them volunteering, and they'd be whisked up to stage involuntarily. Nobody volunteers.

"All right, in that case, shake hands," the escort tells us. I wipe away my tears before shaking Quentin's hand. His grip is very weak. I decide that he isn't as strong as he may appear. "District 12, your tributes for the 248th Hunger Games; Rachel Ivy and Quentin Fredericus!"

* * *

 **I am so glad all twelve Reapings are done! I find them tedious and boring after a while, but necessary. I can't wait to get into the pre-games. This is where the excitement starts ;)**

 **I have a new poll out, for your favorite tributes overall. Feel free to vote for your own, but I'm having multiple selection allowed, so everyone doesn't just vote for their own.**

 **If you haven't reviewed or been consistent reviewing yet, don't worry, because I haven't decided anything yet. I do generally start making plans during the pre-games, though, so I'd start reviewing if you want your tribute to live.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What did you think of Quentin?**

 **2\. What did you think of Rachel?**

 **3\. Who did you prefer?**

 **4\. Who do you think will do better?**

 **5\. Now that we've been introduced to all twenty-four tributes, what did you think of everyone? Who is your favorite? Who is your least favorite? Who do you think will win?**

 **\- Lilah**


	21. Estella Blake II

**District 1**

 **Estella Blake**

 _ **Victor of the 182nd Hunger Games**_

* * *

The train speeds along the countryside. It's much smoother now, than when I first Volunteered during the 182nd Hunger Games. District 6 has seriously improved trains since then, since I can barely feel this train moving. On my way to the Capitol for the first time, the train was rattling like mad. Nobody thought it would break down, or anything of that sort, but the noise made it difficult to sleep. Now all I can hear is the whoosh of the wind as we rush by.

I lean against the window, watching the countryside rush past. We're technically still in District 1, since we're adjacent to the Capitol, but nobody really counts this as District 1, since it's just mountains and the train tracks. The Capitol is nestled in the middle of a bunch of large mountains, which used to be called the Rockies. It's one of the reasons it takes so long for us to reach, despite the speed of the train. We have to go over a bunch of mountains, and since the train can't go so steep, we have to take a bunch of longer routes.

I volunteered for the money, which is odd for District 1 tributes. My family wasn't poor or anything - we were actually some of the richer families in the District. My parents both owned several large, important factories they had inherited from my grandfather. We had a lot of money. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough.

My father contracted a deadly disease when I was sixteen. We were told it would kill him slowly and painfully, unless we got proper treatment in the Capitol. Of course, treatment in the Capitol is extremely expensive, and not something even the richest family in District 1 could afford. The only way we would be able to make enough money was if I won the Hunger Games.

I had never considered Volunteering for the Hunger Games - it wasn't my thing. I didn't care about glory or fame - I just wanted to manage our family's factories and get married. Nothing more extravagant than that. My parents were both Hunger Games fanatics; they watched every year, and usually got pretty into it. They never pressured me to Volunteer, though (at least, at first). They didn't want me to die.

But after my dad got sick, Mom began hinting that I should Volunteer for the Hunger Games. I was skeptical, because although I wanted to help my dad, I had never laid a finger on a weapon and there were kids at the academy who had been training since the age of eight. But Mom hired a private trainer for me, who practiced with me constantly for two years. When I was eighteen, I volunteered.

By some miracle, I won the Hunger Games. I was able to pay for my dad's treatment, and he recovered. But he died, anyway, only ten years after my Victory.

I don't remember my time in the arena very well. My memory's getting pretty spotty, now that I'm nearing my 85th birthday. But I have a very vivid memory of being crowned as the Victor.

The president at that time was a female, President Quinnley. She wasn't as strict as Divine, but not an idiot like Chorley. She was a pretty forgettable president, since she didn't do anything important. I bowed down and she placed the Victor's crown on my head. Then, she whispered "Good luck" in my ear.

I suppose I have had good luck throughout my time as a Victor. My dad recovered from his illness, I've successfully mentored many tributes, and I've lived sixty-six more years without any of the usual Victor side-effects like insanity or alcoholism.

But each day that passes, I ask myself the same question: how much longer will my good luck last?


	22. The Train Rides

**I'm so glad that we're finally in the pre-games! I'm really excited for this. XD**

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Buck Hayford**

* * *

The car slows to a stop just outside the train station. I lean forward so I can see the platform better, and feel a feeling of uneasiness settle in my stomach. The station is _packed_ with people. Nobody that I know, just a bunch of cameramen. They turn and see our car pull up and get excited, rushing over to film us the first chance they get.

I must look a little shocked to see everyone rush over, because our escort, Renee Klaiar, delicately places her hand on my arm and whispers, "Just ignore them. They want to film you for the Capitol, and it would help you to retain this 'tough-mysterious-guy image' you currently have. If you appear as if the cameramen and whole ordeal is beneath you, you'll get sponsors."

I nod, a little surprised at her advice. She's been strangely kind to me ever since I was Reaped, as opposed to Arabella, who she has kind of ignored. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Arabella looking a little peeved. The moment we got in the car, her wide smile dropped, so I assume that was just a facade. Renee has definitely favored me so far, and I think it's because she believes I have a chance of winning. It's comforting to know she thinks I could survive, but I don't like Renee very much. Anyone who works for the Capitol isn't a great person, in my books.

Arabella takes a deep breath, and her face splits into another painfully wide smile. She opens the car door and steps out, immediately bombarded by cameramen. I do the same, and open my door, only to be greeted by even _more_ cameramen. One man shoves his camera so close to my face, I suspect the viewers can only see my eye. The cameramen seem to be _physically fighting_ to see who can get a closer shot of each tribute.

Luckily, Renee slides out of the car and steers me toward the platform. She grips onto my arm tightly, with long, manicured nails that dig into my bicep.

"Remember what I said," she whispers through clenched teeth, " _ignore_ them." The three of us walk up the steps, still surrounded by camera crew. The minute we step up onto the platform, a pair of Peacekeepers come in to ward off the cameramen. I don't think it really matters, though, because the cameramen's attention is immediately turned to a second car.

It must be the mentors, but I don't get to see who they are because the doors of the train slide open and Renee pulls us inside. The doors close behind us, so I don't get a chance to see them.

"Who are our mentors?" Arabella asks, still looking in their direction, even though the door closed.

"You'll see in a moment," Renee assures her.

I look around at the interior of the train. Everything is so plush and fancy… even fancier than the Justice Building, which up until this moment, was the most expensive place I'd ever set foot in. The train's interior must cost more than my entire neighborhood doubled. The furniture is completely elegant, with velvet sofas, mahogany tables, and a glass bar area. The selection of food laid out on each of the tables is exquisite, and I can't wait to dive in. However, I know I should wait and talk to my mentor first. Survival is much more important than a few pastries.

My stomach disagrees, and so must Arabella, because before I can blink, she has rushed over and has begun shoving pastries in her mouth. Renee watches her with disapproval.

"Who will my mentor be?" I ask Renee after a moment. She looks ready to answer, when the door slides open once again.

I'm blinded by the flash of cameras as photographers continue taking pictures, but our mentors step inside quickly and the doors slide closed.

The mentors are Dakota and Furr Pollock, siblings and co-Victors from the 225th Hunger Games. It was the only Hunger Games to ever house to Victors. The Quarter Quell twist was that all siblings of the Reaped child would go in with them, regardless of age or gender. However, a special exception allowed multiple Victors, if they were all still alive at the end. Dakota Pollock was Reaped, and her brother, Furr, went in with her. They won using Dakota's intelligence and Furr's charisma.

"These are your mentors," Renee says, even though that seems fairly obvious. Arabella walks over, a frosted cookie in one hand. "Dakota, you will mentor Buck, and Furr will be mentoring Arabella."

"Hi, I'm Furr," Furr smiles and reaches out his hand to shake Arabella's. She transfers the cookie to her left hand and shakes his hand back, looking star-struck.

"Buck?" Dakota asks. I nod. "We should get started talking right away - if you want to survive, we have a lot to discuss."

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

My District partners sits upon the couch, alone. Her mentor, Estella Blake, is off somewhere, popping pills or taking a nap or something. Apparently, she's a great mentor, but her age comes at a cost. _My_ mentor, Nereus, is in his room. He attempted to socialize with me immediately, but I don't need or care about him, so I told him to leave me alone.

I have yet to discover whether my District partner is a sheep or a wolf. If she's a sheep, I'll eliminate her quickly. If she's a wolf… then this should be fun. She'll die either way, of course, but I need to know whether she poses _some_ sort of threat, even if it may be very small.

I slide onto the seat behind her as she turns on the television - the Reaping recaps. I'll need to watch that as well, to evaluate my competition, but I can do that later. For now, I'd like to find out more about my opponent.

"Trajan Seth," I say, and hold out my hand for her to shake. She looks at me with a mixture of disgust and confusion.

"Cecelia Hart," she introduces herself reluctantly, shaking my hand. She turns her attention back to the television, but I'm not finished talking to her. I'm only getting started.

"Was it for glory?" I ask. She looks a little surprised, turning her attention back toward me.

"What?"

"Why did you volunteer? For glory?" I repeat. She hesitates.

"For fame," she finally says. "I want to be famous in the Capitol." I narrow my eyes.

"I can tell when someone's lying to me," I inform her.

"Can you?" she says dryly. "But I'm trying to watch the recaps, so how about you use your… talents… elsewhere?"

"You're lying about your motive," I state, ignoring her previous comments. "You didn't volunteer for fame, and I doubt glory. You only would have lied about your motive had it been something you were ashamed of. So… money? Are you poor, despite what your outfit says?"

Cecelia doesn't respond, she just stares straight ahead at the television, where they're showing our Reaping.

"Are you bloodthirsty?" I suggest. "Volunteered so you could finally make a kill?"

"I'm not going to tell you," she says. "Besides, you seem more like the bloodthirsty type." She turns to me. "Why did _you_ volunteer? You weren't selected. I don't think you're even enrolled in the academy. Was it on impulse?" I laugh aloud, which I think remotely startles her.

"You're never going to guess it," I say, a smile playing on my lips.

"Well, you should answer it, then. I answered you."

"You answered with a lie."

"I still answered the question."

"So you admit it was a lie?"

"I'm neither confirming or denying the validity of my answer. I'm just saying that I answered the question, and so should you."

"I could just say a lie, and that would be fair, then. But I won't. I'll tell you the real reason." I lean close to her face for a dramatic effect, but she immediately leans backwards, staring at me in repulsion. I chuckle lightly. "I volunteered to separate the sheep from the wolves. Are you a sheep or a wolf, Cecelia?"

She considers this for a moment.

Finally she says, "I'm the shepherd." She switches off the television and leaves the room.

* * *

 **District 8**

 **Linen Baird**

* * *

I step into my bedroom, and let out a large gasp. It's _huge_. My own bedroom is only an eighth of this size, and I share it with Magenta. It's hard to believe this entire room is all for me. I carefully walk over to the king-sized bed feeling out of place, and delicately run my fingers over the fur blanket spread over the bed. It's very soft, and I'm sure it will be very warm.

I can't wait to take a nap under all of the blankets and pillows, because I'll sleep deeper and better than I've ever done in my life, but first I want to try out the Capitol shower. I think of myself as relatively clean, compared to a lot of people in our District, but the moment I stepped onto the train, I realized how dirty I really was. Everything was so clean, which made me feel like I was disgusting.

There are two other rooms connected to mine; a large, walk-in closet with such a large array of clothes, even _I_ can't wait to try some of them on, and a fancy bathroom. I go into the bathroom, immediately shedding my old, hand-me-down cotton dress and turn on the shower.

Water sprays down and steam rises, making it look very inviting. However, when I hold my hand out under the water, it's burning hot. I hiss and yank my arm back. I carefully hit more levers and buttons, but I can't quite find the one that changes the temperature. In the end, I decide to just bare it.

I painfully step into the shower, wincing. The water is very hot. I'm used to cold water, but even this seems a bit extreme. I reach for the soap, but slip on the wet floor and go sliding toward the wall. I use my hand to keep myself from falling, but it catches on a knob and turns it all the way down. Suddenly, the hot water turns icy cold.

I let out a yelp and quickly switch it back to the warmer setting. At least I found the temperature switch.

I soak in the shower much too long, but can you blame me? The shower is much more luxurious than the cold tub I'm used to, and it also has a very big selection of different soaps.

I slather myself with way too many soaps than I need to, to the point where I'm wearing the suds of more than half of the bottles on the shelf. My hair is especially grateful for all of the cleanliness, because it's very thick and curly and little scraps always get stuck in it when I'm darting underneath tables at work. The chance to get all of these random threads and scraps will be great.

I suddenly feel a twinge in my heart when I think about home. I've been trying to enter the Hunger Games with an optimistic angle, but this is the first time I'm confronting the likelihood that I may die.

Actually, scratch that. I probably _will_ die. I'm young, weak, and have no idea how to survive in the wilderness because I've only grown up around factories. I've probably seen a total of five trees in my lifetime. When my family came to say goodbye, I promised them I would come home. I even fooled myself, slightly. But if I'm facing the odds, there's no way I'll see District 8 again. I'll never see my family again.

I feel tears begin to roll down my cheeks. The bubbles sliding down my skin no longer seem like fun and exciting, but just a reminder that all of this stuff; the pastries, the soaps, the clothes… it's all fancy layers to try to cover up the fact that in a few days I'll be dead.

I'm only thirteen! I shouldn't be concerned about dying, yet. I never have been. I don't even think I've considered the prospect of dying my entire life. I just took life for granted and assumed I'd always be as free as the wind and doing whatever I please. But now I'm realizing that this entire train is taking me to my death.

This elegantly decorated, treat-filled train car is essentially a hearse.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Kade Anderson**

* * *

"Are we all ready to watch the Reaping Recaps?" Marcellina asks, balancing a plate of doughnuts on her hand as she skips over to the couch. We all nod, and Robin clicks the power button on the TV remote. The television flicks right on, and I'm seeing Cupid Bloke and Leandros Winthrop chatting.

Marcellina plops down on the velvet couch between my mentor, Callahan, and I, which is a surprise, considering there are several empty and larger spaces than that between Callahan and I. Callahan reluctantly scoots over, but I can't since Yael is on my other side. I consider taking the empty armchair next to the couch, but I'm worried that would piss off Yael, who doesn't seem like the type of person I want to upset. My hand still aches from when she shook it.

Luckily, she hasn't made eye contact with me since we got on the train and barely acknowledges my existence. I would be glad, but it creeps me out even more. I'm disappointed, because I was hoping my District partner would be someone I could woo and get on my side. Then, I could manipulate my way into winning these Hunger Games.

I'm slightly disappointed that Yael doesn't seem interested at all, since District partners are usually the easiest to get on your side, but at least now I can go for the higher-profile girls. Specifically, the Careers. They'll be more useful, anyway. Callahan told me it was tricky to get a Career girl on your side when I told him my plan, but I'm pretty experienced at getting girls to like me.

Cupid and Leandros finally quit discussing random Capitol events that no one cares about and the screen finally cuts to the District 1 Reaping.

The female, Cecelia, volunteers first. She's not different than most District 1 females, appearance-wise; she's strong, blonde, and fairly pretty. The male, Trajan, takes a while to Volunteer.

"That's good, isn't it?" I ask. "If he takes a while to Volunteer, he must be scared."

"Not always. He could just be trying to psych everyone out," Callahan reminds me.

The District 2 tributes both seem pretty tough. The male is pretty tall and muscular, so he looks like someone to be wary of. The female is a surprise, since she looks like she fits more in District 1. But she has all the confidence of a District 2 tribute.

The District 3 boy glides right under my attention; Bloodbath for sure. The female, Lennox, doesn't seem very special, but a kid cries out 'Mommy' when she's Reaped. It's possible that was just a coincidence, but from the way she looks around for the voice, I bet she's a mother.

The District 4 Reaping is actually kind of dramatic. The female, Noelani, only has one arm, and two boys Volunteer at the same time. The escort ends up choosing the younger one, which is good for me, since he looks less powerful and threatening than the other boy.

The District 5 Reaping is even _more_ dramatic. The male cackles when his name is read and even talks about his excitement when he gets on stage. The female, or _females_ , are a pair of Siamese twins. I'm sure I won't have to worry about them, but they're definitely intriguing.

District 6 doesn't provide very interesting candidates. Both are Reaped, and neither seem particularly skilled in any way. The boy is twelve years old and the girl, Tristana, glides right under my radar.

District 7 has a Volunteer, which is surprising. The boy, Ruce, volunteers, and he seems fairly calm, which suggests it was out of confidence. However, the female doesn't look like a threat at all.

District 8 produces a young female and a weak-looking male. I decide that they're Bloodbaths.

District 9's female doesn't look special, but the male looks pretty strong. He also has a few scars, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's had a few fights in his day. He looks tough, despite his short stature.

The District 10 female looks almost insane, with her maniacal smiling, but she definitely doesn't look like a threat. The male, however, looks very strong and intimidating. He seems angry when his name is drawn, which makes me feel a little bad for the escort, because I wouldn't want him storming toward me with a furious expression on his face.

I hold my breath when our Reaping appears.

"There I am!" Marcellina squeaks excitedly when she's shown. I roll my eyes.

Marcellina draws my name. I'm glad to see that I don't look too scared - I feel like I can see my fear, a bit, through that charming smile, but the Capitol may be able to buy it. Yael is drawn, and she walks up looking terrifying. My pleased smile fades when we shake hands and I look like a wimp when she crushes my hand.

Nobody mentions my yelp of pain and obvious injury, which I'm thankful for because it's slightly embarrassing.

The District 12 Reaping once again shows two useless tributes; an extremely dirty boy and a forgettable girl. The Capitol emblem appears on screen, then fades.

"What did you think?" Callahan asks. "Who's a threat? Who will die in the Bloodbath?"

"The Careers were pretty threatening, with the exception of the District 4 boy," I start.

"What about the outer District tributes?"

"Well, definitely the District 10 male and District 7 male. The District 5 and 9 males are also people I'll watch out for." I'm also keeping an eye on Yael, but I wouldn't dare say that out loud.

"Good. And the Bloodbaths?"

"What does it matter?" I ask, smirking. "I'm going to win either way."

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

I lie in my bed, wide awake. Our escort, Phoebe, suggested we go to bed around 10 PM, which sounded like a good idea at the time, but it has been several hours now and I haven't been able to sleep at all. Just when I'm about to drift off to sleep, my mind turns to poor Cam and Jude and I feel too scared to sleep.

I really need to come home to see my little brothers again. They're young, our family can't function without me. They could get jobs, but it would have to be the low-paying ones and wouldn't make them enough money to survive. I stare at the ceiling. There's no use to remain in bed. I might as well watch some old Hunger Games to develop a strategy or something like that.

I tiptoe out into the hall, careful not to wake my District partner, or the mentors, or Phoebe. It must be 2 AM, so I'm guessing they're all deep in sleep.

However, when I enter the living room, I realize someone else is also up. My district partner, Savanna, must have had the same idea as me, because she's curled up on the couch, watching Cupid and Leandros discuss the best strategies of past winners. I carefully walk up behind her.

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" I ask, sympathetically. She jolts around in her chair, but her face relaxes when she sees me. She shakes her head. "Me neither." There's an awkward moment when none of us says anything, and then I decide to introduce myself. "My name's Hadley."

"I know," she says.

"Right," I chuckle. Savanna turns back to watching the television, where Leandros is bringing up Johanna Mason's famous strategy of pretending to be a weakling so nobody targets her. "Do you want anything to drink?" I suggest. Savanna shrugs, which I take as a yes.

I go over to the bar and begin rifling through shelves. There are mostly alcoholic drinks, but I'm sure there's some non-alcoholic beverages in here.

"What's good for sleeping?" I wonder aloud.

"Warm milk?" Savanna suggests.

"Really?" I ask, turning up my nose. "That sounds kind of gross."

"It's actually pretty good. My dad used to make it."

"Alright. Warm milk it is."

I find two mini-cartons of milk in a mini fridge and begin heating them up on a hotplate. The kitchen probably has much better means of doing so, but I don't want to go all the way to the kitchen in order to heat up some milk.

"Are you nervous for the Games?" I ask casually.

"Obviously. I'm young, weak, and weird. I have no chance by myself, and no one would want to align with me," Savanna says bitterly.

"I will," I say before I know what I'm doing. Savanna's so surprised, she turns around in her seat to face me.

"Are you serious?" she asks. "Are you just messing with me?"

"Of course I'm serious," I shrug. I turn off the hot plate and carefully pick up the cartons.

"Why?" Savanna asks, astounded.

"I trust you," I say, simply. "Who better to go into the Hunger Games with than with someone I trust?"

"But why do you trust me? You just met me. I could be evil, for all you know."

"Are you evil?"

"No. But hypothetically…"

"Do you want to be allies or not?" I sigh, sitting down next to her. She takes her carton and smiles.

"Okay. Let's be allies."

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

The train speeds along. I'm still in awe of how smooth the train is. It travels so fast, I could hardly guess it was moving.

"We're almost to the Capitol," Malakai informs me. He's my mentor, and I'm not sure whether to be pleased or disappointed. He definitely seems a little unsure of what he's supposed to be doing, but he's able to answer all of my questions in a useful manner. He's not great at suggesting things, though. Luckily, Lucretius's mentor, Riley, knows what she's doing and helps me out, a bit, as well.

"When we get to the Capitol, are there going to be a lot of people at the train station?" Lucretius asks hopefully.

"Of course," Riley tells him. "It's going to be packed with a bunch of Capitol citizens and reporters all fighting to see you guys in person. You shouldn't ignore them, but don't answer any questions they have for you. It's better just to smile, wave, and don't stop walking. We'll have to get to the Remake Center fairly quickly."

"Do you know what our outfits will be for the chariot ride?" I ask. "I don't want to be dressed up like a fish."

"I don't know," Riley sighs.

"But I don't think it will be a fish," Malakai interjects. "Last year, the District 4 stylists were pretty good."

"What should we do before the chariot ride?" Lucretius asks. "You know, when we're just hanging out by the chariots and stuff. Should we stay in our chariots? Interact with the other tributes?"

"Generally the Careers use this as an opportunity for their first meeting," Riley explains. "You're planning on being in the Career pack, correct?" Lucretius nods. "Then you should make a good first impression on the Careers. And you should also watch them carefully. See possible inner alliances, see rivalries, establish a leader, etc. This is one of the most important moments with the Career alliance."

"What about when we're actually riding the chariots?" I ask. "How should I respond with the crowd?"

"Your stylist will mostly discuss that with you," Riley says, "but I'd recommend being pretty outgoing. Sponsors will already have low expectations from you because of your missing arm, so you need to compensate with friendly behavior. Make them feel special, like you're directing your smiling at one specific person. That almost guarantees their sponsoring. If they feel like they have a connection with you, they won't hesitate to send you gifts."

"Blowing kisses works pretty well, too," Malakai adds.

"Is everyone ready for the big day?" Tiernan asks, finally entering the living room. He's wearing a crisp, sea-blue tuxedo with shoes styled to look like shells. He looks very excited, edging on nervous. He smiles widely at everyone in the room. "It's going to be very stressful, but you guys can do it!" he exclaims, placing his hands on Lucretius and I's shoulders. His eyes drift over to the windows. "Ooh, look, we're arriving!"

I follow his gaze and sure enough, the train is speeding toward a city with towering buildings and fountains and bright lights. I wander over to the window and stare in awe at the approaching city.

"It looks like heaven," Lucretius says in admiration. The window goes dark as we head through a tunnel, but the view of the city quickly returns. This time, we're inside of it. The train begins to slow, and I almost lose my footing. Lucretius topples over, but Malakai catches him.

The train slowly makes its way through the city. As we head closer to the center, we pass pedestrians dressed in bright, colorful outfits who wave at us, excitedly. I'm too surprised to wave back, but we pass by them pretty quickly.

"I remember my first time seeing the Capitol in person," Malakai remarks, joining me by the window. He begins waving at the people in the streets, and I follow his lead.

The train grinds to a halt as we enter the station, which is literally _packed_ with Capitolians, all craning to get a view of us. The doors slide open, and I'm blinded by a burst of light as hundreds of cameras take photos of us.

* * *

 **Sorry this took so long. I don't have an excuse since I wasn't doing anything all week, but I was finding it tough to write some POVs. Others were really easy, though. The next chapter will be out soon!**

 **Don't forget to review. Do you have any predictions for alliances?**

 **\- Lilah**


	23. The Chariot Ride

**District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

The moment I enter the prep room, a trio of vibrantly-dressed Capitolians rush over to me, their eyes alight at the prospect of "fixing me". The maniacal glint in their eyes makes me nervous. I look back down the hall, but Blick has already left with Nikola.

"Wow, haven't we got a tough job ahead of us?" the male with red eyes and pointy red hair states, looking me over. I suddenly feel self-conscious and cross my arms over my chest.

"I think we can manage," the tall woman with long eyelashes and purple hair says. "She has potential."

"And we're the best stylists _ever_ ," the short, plump man says happily.

"That's a bit of a reach, Marvolo," the redhaired man says skeptically.

"Nope, we're the best!" the plump man squeals, smiling widely.

Both the redhaired man and purple-haired woman look skeptical, but they nod in agreement. Then, they decide that they should get to work, which doesn't bode well for me, because I've heard that the prepping process is quite painful.

Marvolo fills a fancy tub with hot water, then squirts in some kind of soap which causes frothy purple bubbles to grow on the surface of the water. It actually smells fantastic and the idea of taking a bath right now sounds very enticing, but I don't want to take a bath with all of these freaks watching. They stare at me for a moment.

"Get in the bath," the redhaired man orders. I shake my head. "Seriously, get in the bath or we'll call security," he says, anger appearing on his face. I consider this for a moment, then decide that I don't want to deal with security. Reluctantly, I pull off the comfortable sweatshirt and leggings I found on the train. My prep team doesn't give me any privacy and don't even have the decency to avert their eyes. They all stare directly at me while I strip off my clothes.

When I'm completely undressed, I climb into the tub, shielding my… more intimate parts from the prep team. I sink into bubbles and let my hands fall to my sides since the bubbles completely conceal me. It's actually very relaxing if I try to ignore the unsettling stares from the freaks who are supposed to prep me.

The purple-haired woman grabs a scary looking brush, and before I know what's happening, she begins scrubbing me down. It's very uncomfortable, both because I feel like she's invading my privacy and she's scrubbing off about three layers of skin.

"I can do that," I suggest hopefully. She shakes her head.

"No, we can't risk that."

"Risk what?" I ask.

"The possibility that you don't clean yourself as well as possible," Marvolo chimes in.

"I know how to clean myself!" I exclaim. I swallow a yelp of pain as the purple-haired woman rubs another layer of skin off of my back.

"Evidently not," the red-haired man tuts, looking down at me disapprovingly. "You looked like you had never bathed in your life when you walked in here." I glare at him, offended, but the glare quickly morphs into a grimace as the purple-haired woman decides she has to scrub my skin even harder than she initially was.

Marvolo begins washing my hair using a raspberry-scented soap, and the red-haired man pours a new liquid into the tub which makes my skin sting. He ignores my complaints and mixes it completely in. Next, he begins using a towel coating in the stinging liquid to wash my face. He gets _extremely_ close to my eyes but luckily avoids them.

When Marvolo is done washing my hair and the purple-haired woman (who I hear the red-haired man call Stella) is done ridding my body of _skin and comfort_ , they have me step out of the tub and stand still, completely nude, while they surround me, using hand-held devices that blow warm air to dry me off.

They finally have me lay down on a cushioned table while they begin to work on the more intricate details. Stella sprays perfumed moisturizer along my body, while the red-haired man works on my nails, and Marvolo, my hair.

"Use the de-greasing spray for her hair," Stella tells Marvolo as she finishes spritzing me and begins rubbing in the spray.

"Is my hair greasy?" I ask, surprised.

"Very," they all say in unison.

I tune out for most of this part since all I need to do is stay still while they clean me up. The red-haired man paints my nails electric blue and Marvolo repeatedly tugs at my knotted black hair. However, the worst part comes when Stella finishes moisturizing me and decides that she needs to wax the hair off of me.

She does not leave a single inch of skin unwaxed, even parts that barely have any hair and I hope the Capitol won't see, like my stomach. It's very painful and makes me wonder whether Capitolians do this on a frequent basis because I definitely couldn't.

"Ow!" I cry out when she rips a particularly painful wax-strip off my leg.

"Oh, calm down," the red-haired man says in an irritated tone. "You'll encounter much worse pain in the Hunger Games."

After that reminder, I fall silent.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Quentin Fredericus**

* * *

"All right," Fyona says. "You're all done!"

"Really?" I ask. Fyona nods.

"We're going to leave now. Your stylist should be in here shortly. Feel free to put on a bathrobe." Fyona and the rest of my prep team exit the room, leaving me to myself. I take a look around and see several bathrobes hanging on a hook by the door. It is a bit chilly in here, so I walk over to the hook and begin looking at the bathrobes. There are a bunch of different sizes, so I choose the largest one. It's slightly too big for me, which is surprising, considering I'm 6'4, but I suppose so many different sized tributes come in, they prepare for anything.

I don't bother switching to the next size down, because it's comfy, anyway. I tie it around my waist. I'm not sure what to do now. I don't know when my stylist will enter, and there isn't anything to do in here.

I see a full-body mirror on one wall, so I stroll over to that. It should be interesting to see what my prep team did to my body. When I look at myself in the mirror, I gasp. I look completely different.

First of all, I'm not covered in a bunch of dirt. I took a shower on the train, but they must have scrubbed through years of dirt. I actually look _clean_. My skin is a little pink from being rubbed so hard, but it isn't too noticeable. My skin is also surprisingly soft after being moisturized. I suppose they weren't able to moisturize it enough to get rid of all of the callouses, but it's definitely softer.

I also have much less hair. They waxed it all off, which was a painful process, but it made a huge difference. Fyona said she had never seen body hair as thick as mine, and she kept referring to it as "fur". She also waxed the hair off of my jaw and upper lip. Then she gave me a shot that she said would stunt the growth of my facial hair for the next few weeks.

I'm not a huge fan of this part, but they chopped off almost all of my hair. They explained that it would only get in the way in the Hunger Games and it was impossible to untangle some of the twigs stuck in it, which I suppose makes sense, but I still wish they hadn't. The feeling of my hair hanging down my back was oddly comforting. Now, the back of my next feels exposed. They trimmed my hair down to about two inches. To be fair, it does look nice all clean, but it makes it difficult to recognize myself.

I'm running my fingers through my soft hair when the door opens behind me. I turn around and see a woman with silver skin and short red hair standing in the doorway. She's holding a binder and a covered outfit on a hanger.

"Hello, Quentin," she says, striding in self-importantly.

"Hi," I say nervously.

"Are you ready to see your chariot outfit?" she asks me, unzipping the cover. I'm a little taken aback at her straightforward nature. I heard that stylists usually like to chat before showing you their outfits, but I suppose this isn't the case with my stylist, who has yet to introduce herself.

"Yeah," I say, and walk over to her. She sets her binder down on the table in order to take out the costume.

"You know, when the Capitol first saw you at the Reapings, they were reminded of a wild animal," she says casually. "I decided to make a few changes to the costume in order for it to fit with your current image." She removes the costume and shows it to me. I feel my jaw drop open and I stare at it for a moment before speaking.

"...Is that real?"

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Lucretius Marlo**

* * *

Noelani and I are some of the first tributes to enter the stables. Looking around, I see that the only tributes who have arrived are the District 3 tributes and the District 6 tributes. The District 3 tributes are wearing black bodysuits with glowing blue wires running down them and the District 6 tributes are dressed up as birds of prey. The District 3 costumes are decent, although a little overused, but the District 6 costumes just look weird.

Noelani and I are dress up as mermen. We've both got scaly turquoise tails, then Noelani has a seashell top while I'm shirtless, with a necklace of shells. We both got tridents as props, although the tips of made of rubber so we can't pierce anything with them, which was a small disappointment because I got really excited when my stylist brought mine out.

I turn toward Noelani to joke about District 6's costumes, but I realize that she has already walked off to our chariot without me. I sigh and run after her, keeping a careful eye on the ground, which has horse manure everywhere.

I'm pretty sure Noelani hates me for volunteering instead of Mercury. I know she and Mercury were close, so she must have been looking forward to going into the Hunger Games with him. And when I told her _why_ I volunteered, she said I was an idiot and stormed off into her room on the train. I hope she begins liking me or at least tolerates me by the time the Hunger Games come around, though, because it would be nice to have someone I can trust. I don't think she would kill me, but you never know.

Noelani leans against our coral-themes chariot, pretending to be inspecting her freshly-painted fingernails when I approach.

"I like your hair," I say honestly because her wavy auburn hair is actually very pretty. Instead of thanking me or at least taking the compliment like a normal person, she glares at me and barks;

"What do you want?" I shrug.

"I'm just complimenting you. Jeez. Why do you hate me so much?"

"Um, maybe because you completely betrayed your brother by taking his spot in volunteering just because you couldn't stand him succeeding? Maybe because you took away his last chance to volunteer when you had another year? Maybe because I could have had someone I trusted and liked fighting alongside me, and am instead stuck with _you_ ," Noelani shouts. I'm a little afraid of her sudden outburst, but I quickly regain my wits.

"Look, you shouldn't just make assumptions about me and my reasons for volunteering. For all you know, I volunteered because I didn't want to see my big brother die!"

"I'm not making any assumptions. You straight up told me that you volunteered so your brother wouldn't be able to win the Hunger Games," she reminds me.

"That's not how I put it," I mumble, losing my confidence. "I said that I volunteered so people would respect me. If Mercury won, then I'd always be seen as 'The Victor's brother'. Even if I volunteered next year and won, I'd still only be seen as his brother. I want to be seen as a Victor, or at least myself." Recognition flashes in Noelani's eyes as I speak, and for a moment, she seems empathetic. Then her glare returns.

"That's no excuse," she says simply, and looks away, although it doesn't seem like she means it. I look over at the entrance to the stables, and see a few more pairs flood in, including the tributes from District 1 and 2, our fellow Careers. They head straight over to us as if it's some unspoken assumption that we're having our first meeting right here.

The girl from District 2 arrives first. She stands with her hands on her hips and inspects both of us, with a slight smirk on her lips. I feel uncomfortable when her eyes pass over me. It's obvious she's judging me right now, which makes me feel really vulnerable.

"Um, hi, I'm Lucretius Marlo," I say holding out my hand.

"Glitter Monique," she replies after a moment, shaking my hand. "And who are you?" she asks Noelani.

"Noelani King." Noelani and Glitter also shake hands, and a moment later, the rest of the Careers arrive. I feel really self-conscious next to all of them. I'm much shorter than both of the males, and everyone is way more attractive than me. Even the boy from District 1, who isn't as handsome as the usual District 1 males, is much more attractive than me. There's a really awkward moment when everyone inspects each other, sizing up our allies/competition.

"I'm Glorian Stafford," the boy from District 2 finally says, nodding hello to us. After that, we go in a circle, introducing ourselves. When we've all said our names, nobody says anything else. It almost feels like a dare to whoever decides to speak first. I decide to take on the dare.

"So, um… who will be the leader?" I ask.

"Definitely not you," Trajan states, sneering. I consider standing up for myself because I wasn't even _suggesting_ that I be the leader, but I decide that it's probably not the greatest idea to talk back to him and stay silent.

"Why don't we see who has the best training score?" Cecelia suggests. "Then our leader will have earned his or her position and are the most qualified. Also, no fighting is necessary."

"But we don't find out our training scores for a few days," Noelani reminds her. "Who will be the leader until then?"

"Do we need a leader before then?"

"Maybe," I shrug. "For training and stuff, if there's some sort of strategy we want for stations."

"And if we want to add outer District tributes into our alliance," Glorian adds in a deep voice. "We can't just add whoever we want. Someone needs to filter out the bad tributes from the good ones."

"True," Cecelia says. "Hey, why don't we have a vote? On an interim leader?"

"We don't know a lot about each other. How would we vote?" asks Noelani.

"I think we should vote," I decide. "After all, it's the fairest way. And it's only temporary; we can always choose a new interim leader. It doesn't have to be set in stone."

"Okay. Let's vote," Noelani shrugs. "I vote for Cecelia." Cecelia looks surprised.

"Yeah, I vote for Cecelia, too," I say. Cecelia has had most of the ideas so far, so it seems like a good idea for her to be our makeshift leader. Besides, she seems fair.

"I think Glorian should be the leader," Glitter states.

"Well, I vote for myself," Trajan says.

"You can't vote for yourself!" Glitter exclaims. "Otherwise I would have voted for myself, too." Trajan looks mad at this but accepts it.

"Fine. I guess I'll vote for… you." Trajan gestures at Glorian.

"My name is Glorian," Glorian repeats. "Do you seriously not remember my name? I introduced myself only a few seconds ago." Trajan shrugs. "I'll vote for Cecelia, too."

"I think Lucretius should be the leader," Cecelia says in a surprised voice. My jaw drops open, along with a few others.

"Me? Really?" I ask, astounded. Cecelia shrugs.

"You've kind of been leading the conversation so far," she explains. I think you would do pretty well as an interim leader."

"Well, I guess Cecelia's the leader for now," Noelani says.

"Tributes. The first chariot will leave in three minutes. Please get in your chariots." The voice of Leandros Winthrop comes over the intercom very loudly, making me jump.

"I'll see you guys during training tomorrow," Cecelia says before walking off toward her chariot. The rest of us do the same, following the actions of our new makeshift leader.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

The District 1 chariot leaves first. Cecelia is dressed in a bejeweled jumpsuit that the light reflects off of, almost blinding me. She waves at the crowd with a determined expression on her face. She's not smiling, but the crowd still goes crazy for her, throwing roses and jewelry and other random items. Trajan is dressed in a toga and wears golden sandals and a golden crown. He doesn't wave, just stares straight ahead with a creepy grin on his face. He gets less attention than Cecelia but receives a few cheers.

When District 1 has received enough attention, the District 2 chariot leaves. Both of the District 2 tributes are dressed like gladiators. They have swords, which I assume (and hope) are fake. Glitter waves at the crowd, grinning confidently. Glorian waves, but doesn't smile. He comes off as a little shy, which probably isn't his intention. The Capitol loves both of them, and both receive a significant amount of roses and cheers.

The District 3 chariot leaves, but the Capitol doesn't seem to care much. They're both dressed in a black jumpsuit with glowing blue wires running down their outfit. It's not a terrible costume, but so overused that it's no longer exciting. Both Nikola and Lennox appear slightly overwhelmed, and their waving comes across as nervous. The Capitol is mostly still cheering for the previous two Districts, but I hear some people shouting for Lennox. Poor Nikola doesn't seem to have a lot of fans.

District 4 goes out, and the applauding immediately grows. Both tributes are dressed as mermen, which is a pretty cool costume. They even have tridents, which, like the District 2 swords, I assume are fake. Both Noelani and Lucretius smile at the crowd. Lucretius waves, but Noelani doesn't. I blame that on the fact that she only has one arm, though, since she needs to hold on to the chariot. They both receive a lot of cheers. District 4 is typically a crowd favorite, especially since Malakai Mavericks just won.

District 5 is a very interesting pair (or trio) this year. Dennis is a creepy mystery and everyone has been wondering about the Siamese twins. Dennis wears a shockingly bright golden suit, which I assume is supposed to represent the sun. He doesn't wave at the audience, but looks around, grinning creepily. The twins are wearing a dress split into two different styles. Tracey's side looks like water, and Macey's looks like fire. It's a cool concept, but a bit of a reach for the 'power' theme. Macey and Tracey take turns; one holds onto the chariot while the other waves, and then they switch. I'm surprised to hear a few people booing District 5, but most are cheering with excitement.

The District 6 chariot rolls out. Both tributes are dressed like birds of prey, with feathers and hats that look like beaks. I feel bad for them because the costume is really weird. Tristana is dressed like an eagle and Axel, like a falcon. Despite their humiliating costumes, they smile and wave for the crowd. They receive a little bit of applause, but most people focus on the chariots in front of them.

District 7 comes out next, and no one seems to notice. As usual, the tributes are dressed as trees. It's one of the only costumes District 7 ever wears, so at this point, most of the audience doesn't really pay attention to them. Several people are interested in Ruce, though, since he volunteered, so he gets a few cheers. Zaira, on the other hand, barely has anyone clapping for her. They both wave, but Ruce seems much more confident than his District partner.

District 8 gets fairly good reception. The two of them emerge from the stables looking very nervous, but both begin waving more enthusiastically when they realize people are cheering for them. Linen wears an intentionally roughly-sewn denim dress with random splashes of color. Felix's outfit has a similar concept. He has a beige suit on but also wears a cape made of different color fabrics. People cheer for them, I'm not sure why.

The District 9 tributes are dressed in some of the saddest outfits I have ever seen; were the stylists just incredibly lazy or did they think dressing their tributes as loaves of bread was a good idea? Both Hadley and Savanna are inside of what looks like a giant loaf of bread. It does look comfy, but it's so bad, it provokes some laughs from the audience. Hadley and Savanna both wave and smile, but it's clear they're deeply embarrassed.

My heart leaps in my throat when I realize that we're next. Our chariot jolts forward, and my hands instinctively tighten around the chariot. The ride is bumpier than I presumed. Buck and I are both dressed like cowboys, which I suppose is because it's an easy costume but doesn't look stupid. It's the same as last year, so the audience doesn't look too interested, but I can hear them cheer for us… mostly Buck, actually, but I hear my name mixed in there. My face splits into a grin and I wave enthusiastically at the crowd. Buck just stands still, ignoring them. Surprisingly, that seems to make them cheer even louder.

I glance back just when the District 11 chariot rolls out. They're both dressed as farmers, in overalls and straw hats. The audience doesn't seem too excited to see them, but Kade gets a decent amount of cheers. He grins charmingly at the audience and blows kisses at random women in the crowd, which makes him quite popular. I see several roses land near him. Yael, on the other hand, stares directly ahead, looking very angry. With some alarm, I realize she's glaring directly at Buck. I consider warning him, but decide against it. It's probably not important.

District 12 finally rolls out. Rachel is dressed in a long, black gown with bright red border which I suppose symbolize flame. Quentin is dressed in a suit made completely out of animal fur. He looks absolutely _disgusted_ and I see tears running down his face. Rachel waves at the crowd pleasantly, but neither of them get a lot of attention. That is, until Quentin rips off his animal-fur shirt. He throws it on the ground, angrily. He begins yelling something how no innocent animals should suffer and their carcasses worn as a fashion style. He strips off his fur pants next and throws them toward the crowd. Strangely, several people fight to catch it. He's left standing in only his underwear, and he continues to scream and rant about animal rights.

I nervously bite my lip and return to waving at the audience, pretending to ignore him. I think I'm trying to ignore a lot of things, today. Such as the fact that I may die in the next few days.

* * *

 **I didn't think I'd be able to update this fast - I thought I'd procrastinate for another week, but I guess not. I'm excited because a lot of the drama will happen before the Games even begin, so this should be fun.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What outfits sounded good?**

 **2\. Which outfits sound terrible?**

 **3\. What did you think of the Careers' plan for a leader?**

 **4\. Who are you rooting for besides your own character?**

 **5\. Who's your favorite author? (Mine is either Stephen King or J.K. Rowling)**

 **\- Lilah**


	24. Training Day 1

**There might be grammar mistakes this chapter because I was too lazy to fix them.**

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Zaira Quentin**

* * *

I wake to Leon shaking my arm. I automatically yank it away, but he holds on and continues shaking it.

"Zaira, wake up!" he says in a chipper voice. "It's your first day of training. You don't want to be late." I groan and attempt to fall back to sleep. I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night, so I've only been resting for a few hours. I don't get a chance to get back to sleep, though, because Leon continues trying to get me out of bed. He begins pulling harder, until he almost yanks me off the bed.

"Fine, I'll get up!" I finally shout, waving him away. He lets go, and I quickly stretch my back.

"You only have half an hour until training starts. Get ready, quickly," Leon warns, and skips out of my room. When he's out of here, I consider going back to sleep. But he's right, I don't want to be late for training, especially on the first day.

I get out of bed and head over to my en suite bathroom. I'm wearing a nightgown, but it's soaked in sweat. I must have been having some bad dreams last night. I reach the shower, close the door behind me, and start the water. I had my mentor, Dara, help me work the shower last night, because I've been having some trouble ever since I got Reaped. She told me that a lot of tributes have trouble with the showers at first, which made me feel better.

Steam begins to rise, causing condensation to grow on the mirror. I peel off my moist nightgown and throw it on the ground. I could put it in the hamper, but it's all the way back in my bedroom and the avoxes will pick it up here, anyway.

I feel bad for the avoxes, but I might as well use their services. After all, I'm heading to my death in a matter of days, I shouldn't be too worried about them.

I step into the shower and begin cleaning myself off. I've already taken a few showers in the Capitol, so I've used a lot of the soaps they have available. At this point, I'm no longer worried about using as many different soaps as possible and am fine just bathing with two or three. My skin feels weird after the prep team because they rubbed off years of dirt, grime, body hair, and skin. It still stings a bit, but it's very smooth and I can't resist repeatedly rubbing my hand over my new limbs.

I exit the shower after about ten minutes, which was still longer than necessary, but it was very relaxing to stand under the warm water spraying down on my head. There are a bunch of fluffy white towels hanging on a hook near the door, so I grab one and wrap it around my body. There's also this tube I can step inside where it blows warm air on me to dry me off, but I'm not ready for that. It seems unnatural to me. I'd rather be slightly damp for the next hour.

I use one hand to keep my towel in place while I use the other to begin combing my knotted hair. The soap helped it a lot, but I still come across the occasional tough not. I hiss as the teeth of the comb hook into a particularly bad clump of hair. I pull down, trying to separate the knot, but it only yanks the hair down my scalp. Leon decides to choose this moment to bang on the door to my bathroom.

"Zaira, what's taking you so long? You still need to eat!" he cries, slamming his fists against the door.

"I'm drying myself off!" I shout back, still working on the knot. "It will only take another minute!"

"It better!" he sighs. I wait to hear him walk away, but he remains standing next to the door.

"Are you still there?" I ask after a beat.

"Yes. I'm making sure you don't procrastinate."

I groan but return to combing my hair. The knot finally separates, and after that, it's pretty easy to comb the rest of my hair. I hear Leon continue to shout warnings to speed me along, but I just try to tune him out. I'm almost done. I quickly brush my teeth, then finally open the bathroom door. Leon stands in front of the doorway, his hand raised, mid-knock.

"Finally," he mutters, then walks away. "Your training outfit is on the bed." He exits my room, and I'm glad that he's polite enough to shut the door behind him. I go over to my bed, where a simple sleeveless black jumpsuit lies on my comforter. There's a silver '7' stitched on the back.

I pull on the jumpsuit but have a little bit of trouble zipping up the back. I would ask Dara to do it, but I don't want to walk out into the kitchen with my back completely exposed. True, it could and probably will be a lot worse when I go into the Hunger Games, but I'd rather avoid it. I eventually manage to reach behind me and pull up the zipper, though.

I walk out into the kitchen, where everyone else is seated around the table, a bunch of plates and platters stocked with food in the center.

"So, you're finally here?" Ruce asks, seeming slightly agitated. He uses his knife to butter a piece of toast much too violently. When he's satisfied with the amount of butter, he slams the knife back onto the butter dish.

"Careful, Sprucen!" Dara exclaims.

" _Ruce_ ," he corrects. I take a seat next to Dara and begin piling my plate with food. Ruce, who sits across from me, watches me pile all of the different breakfast foods onto my plate with disgust. "You're acting like you've never seen food in your life," he says.

"I haven't seen a lot of it," I say casually, and begin eating a bagel.

While I eat, Chance, Dara, and Ruce begin talking about strategies for training while Leon occasionally chimes in with a reminder of the time. I'd rather Ruce and I be prepared separately, but Chance and Dara never offered and I'd feel really rude asking to be mentored separately from Ruce. At least I get to hear his strategy, like this. So far, it seems to be just to threaten and kill as many people as possible.

"Are you planning on joining any alliances?" Chance asks Ruce.

"Yeah. I'd be fine with anyone, but I'd just manipulate them and stuff. Loyalty has no place in the Hunger Games."

Well, I know not to accept an offer of an alliance from Ruce Willes. The bright side of us being mentored together is I get to hear all of his plans. I don't actually mention mine, though. I'll just ask Dara, later, when we're alone.

"What about you, Zaira?" Dara asks. "Are you planning on accepting any alliances?" I point at my full mouth to signal that I can't talk. Dara accepts this and returns to talking to Ruce.

"We only have five minutes left," Leon says nervously.

"All right," Chance says. "Are you guys ready to go?"

"Yeah. I've been ready for a while," says Ruce.

"I'm about done," I promise. I cram one more bite of a jelly-filled doughnut in my mouth, then stand up. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Great, let's go!" Leon cheers, popping out of his chair. He skips over to the elevator and presses the down button. Ruce and I join him over by the elevator. After a moment of waiting, the metal doors slide open. The only people in the elevator car are the two District 12 tributes.

"Hi," the female says, smiling, as we step in.

"Hi," I say, and the door closes. The elevator shoots down, much faster than I'm used to and I grab onto the metal bar on the back wall.

"I'm still not used to how fast this thing goes," the girl laughs. Nobody responds to her. "I'm Rachel Ivy," she says, "and this is Quentin." She gestures to her District partner, a very tall boy with curly brown hair. He waves and forces a small smile.

"I'm Zaira," I say, quietly, not really in the mood to talk. Rachel turns to Ruce, expecting him to introduce himself, but he ignores her. She looks at me, and I think she's expecting me to introduce him, but I pretend I don't know what she's talking about. Rachel quits trying to conversate with the rest of us when the doors open again and the tributes from District 4 step inside.

The tension in here could be cut with a knife. Rachel doesn't try to introduce herself to them, though. We all stay quiet as the elevator makes its way down. The doors finally open after what feels like a long time, even though it was only four floors. We all step out into the training center.

It's time for our first day of training.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

"Is everyone here?" the head training instructor, Danae, asks. We all shrug, and a few people look around to see who could possibly be missing. None of us really know each other yet, so it's hard for us to recognize someone's absence. I look around and see that all of my allies are here, which means none of the Careers are late.

"District 5 is missing," someone finally calls out. I do a quick scan of the group and realize that the Siamese twins are indeed missing.

We're currently gathered in a circle around the head trainer, a woman named Danae. Trajan and I got here early, not wanting to miss a moment of training, which I suppose is one of the only things we have in common. Unfortunately, we only learned when we got down here that we're not allowed to start training until after Danae gives a speech, and she won't speak until everyone arrives.

The elevator bell chimes and everyone turns to see Dennis and the twins exit the elevator.

"Sorry it took so long. They had to have their suit adjusted so it fits both of their necks," Dennis snickers, rushing over to us. I notice that the neckline of their jumpsuit has been widened in order for both of their heads to fit through. They move at a slow but steady pace until they reach us.

"Okay, now we can begin," Danae says when everyone's listening to her. "My name is Danae, and I'm your Head Training Instructor. Over the course of the next three days, you will be able to prepare yourself for the Games with all the supplies you see around you. There will be an instructor at each station to help you. If you would like, we have instructors you can spar with, but it is forbidden to do so with another tribute. The gymnasium will be open from 6 AM to 10 PM, and you are free to go to whatever station you like. Are there any questions?"

There's silence, then the boy from District 8 tentatively raises his hand.

"Um, do we have to train for sixteen hours?" he nervously asks. His eyes dart around cautiously, and I notice that he's mostly glancing at us Careers.

"No, training is only mandatory from 8 AM to 6 PM. After or before then, you may go back to your floor. The extra time is just for anyone who would like to work extra hard. You're also not required to train when down here. You can just stand around unless I call for a mandatory activity," Danae answers. "Are there any other questions?"

No one says anything.

"In that case, you are free to go. However, we will have mandatory stations in an hour. Until then, you may do whatever you please."

The crowd scatters, and everyone wanders off in different directions. I'm slightly overwhelmed to see all of the Careers immediately walk over to me. Trajan looks a little irritated when everyone watches me for instructions.

"Um… for now, let's just warm up. And make sure to keep your eye out in case anyone else might be useful in the alliance. Don't talk to them, yet, though. We'll actually begin talking them after the mandatory activities Danae told us about," I say.

"How should we warm up?" Lucretius asks.

"I was thinking the cardio stations, but you don't really have to do that," I shrug. The Careers scatter, most of them going to one of the cardio stations, with the exception of Trajan, who goes straight toward the swords. I roll my eyes and head over toward the obstacle course. I don't really care if he does what I say, but being straight-up defiant is a bad idea.

I see Noelani has also decided to start on the obstacle course. She's currently off to the side, stretching. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the little girl from Eight watching the course wistfully. She must have been hoping to try it but is too nervous to be at the same station as the District 4 female. Instead, she's tying knots with her District partner.

I take a seat next to Noelani and follow her lead by stretching my hamstrings.

"Hi," I say.

"Hey." Noelani begins stretching her shoulder. "Do you want to race on the obstacle course?"

"Sure," I shrug. "But I have to warn you - I'm pretty fast."

"So am I," Noelani grins. I begin stretching my ankles and wrists. "Hey, you know how the Career alliance is so large? And it will probably split up eventually?"

"Yeah?"

"When it splits up, how about we stick together?"

"Are you proposing an inner alliance?" I ask, smiling.

"I suppose."

"I like that idea," I decide. "Let's do it. Shake hands?"

Noelani smiles and shakes my hand.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

"Alright, everyone, time for the mandatory activities!" Danae announces after the first hour ends. Several people groan in disappointment as they are forced to set down their weapons, but everyone walks over to Danae, who stands next to the ropes' course.

I don't bother placing my short-bladed sword on the display rack, I simply drop it on the ground as I walk over to join the rest of the tributes at the ropes' course. I stand on the outside of the circle, only partially paying attention to the Head Trainer. I focus most of my attention on studying the other tributes; who will be the most fun to torture, who will be the easiest to take down, who has possible mental scars or insecurities to play with, etc.

"The following mandatory activities will last until lunchtime-" Danae begins, but is immediately interrupted by sighs of disappointment from the Careers. She sends them a threatening glare before returning to her speech. "They will last until lunchtime, after then, the rest of the day will be your's to spend however you please. You'll split up into three groups and each group will spend one hour at a different station. The activity will be led by a trainer, and you are _forbidden_ to train separately or wander off at any point.

"You will be divided into groups according to District; Districts 1 through 4, Districts 5 through 8, and Districts 9 through 12. Districts 1 through 4 will start at the weapons stations, Districts 5 through 8 at the survival stations, and Districts 9 through 12 at the cardio station. After an hour, you will switch."

My eyes drift to the small boy from District 3, who gulps and looks terrified at the prospect of training with all of the Careers for the next three hours. I smirk at his obvious fear.

Tributes begin splitting up into the groups and heading toward their designated sections. I reluctantly head over to the clump of tributes lingering near the fire-starting station, which includes my District partners. The entire group looks like weaklings, with the exception of the boy from District 7, who volunteered. However, he doesn't look especially strong and I'm pretty sure he's dumber than a sack of flour.

We're all unsure of what to do, but a peppy instructor quickly dashes over and begins ordering us to create a fire.

The fire-making station is disappointingly small, and the platform resembling a section of a pine forest can barely hold all of us. I sit in the corner, attempting to create a fire with only friction. The instructor, whose name is Phaidra, suggests we try to start with matches, but I want to start with the more difficult techniques because those are the ones I'll most likely have to use in the arena. Everyone else, with the exception of the boy from District 7, is starting off with matches.

I'm trying to make smoke by rubbing two sticks together, but I'm starting to realize it's much more difficult than I initially thought. Phaidra comes over to give me advice, but I wave her off. I don't want help.

After a couple of minutes of furiously rubbing my sticks together, I set them down and give my blistered hands a break. I look around to see how well everyone else is doing. A few people must have been able to use matches, because I see several now attempting to create a spark using flint. The girl from District 6 manages to use the flint to make several sparks, which catch onto a log. Her fire blossoms before my eyes, as she carefully blows on it, then feeds it more sticks. I watch the fire until she begins to get sickly praise from Phaidra, and I look away.

The only people still using matches are the boys from District 8 and 6, and my District partners, who are clearly having some trouble, only having control of one arm each. The boy from District 6 strikes a match against the side of the box, and it catches flame. He cheers triumphantly and grins broadly.

"Great, Axel, now put it out and you can start with flint!" Phaidra says while showing a disgruntled Sprucen how to create friction. Axel seems too proud of his fire to extinguish it, though, and lets it burn down the match. Nobody else is paying any attention to him, just focusing on their own fires, so only I realize what's about to happen.

The flame reaches the bottom of the match and burns Axel's fingers. He yelps and automatically releases it. He winces and waves around his fingers to stop the pain. A few people glance toward him, but nobody cares. It barely burned his fingers. Even Axel moves past it, going to collect his flint for the next level.

I stay locked in place, entranced by the strangely captivating occurrence. Just that smallest incident caused a twinge of pleasure to shoot through me. If something that small was so exciting to me, I can only imagine how I'll feel in the Games - when I can go as far as I want, and no one can say anything.

I return to trying to start my fire, but it remains very difficult. I manage to get smoke, but when I try to blow on it to turn it into an actual fire, I accidentally extinguish it. It's better than anyone else does, though. The only other people using sticks to start a fire are Sprucen and the girl from District 6, and neither are able to get any smoke.

After half an hour, we move on to the edible plants' station, which is arguably the most boring one in the entire gym. Phaidra sticks with us and lectures us about the differences in berries and leaves. Afterward, she has us do a quick sorting game, where she gives each of us ten random cards, and we have to sort them into two piles; edible and poisonous.

When it's my turn, I don't give it much thought. I simply look at the colors of the berries to decide whether I think they're edible or not. Surprisingly, I get seven out of ten correct.

I'm not completely disregarding this station - I know it's important, but I don't focus in group settings. Tomorrow, I'll return when it's empty and completely learn all of the plants.

The only person who gets a perfect score is the girl from District 7, which isn't surprising since she probably spends a lot of her time in a forest. Everyone else gets scores similar to mine, except the girl from District 6 who seems to sort her cards on gut instincts, and ends up with a 3/10 score.

We only have fifteen minutes left for the survival stations, so Phaidra quickly takes us over to shelter-making and lectures us on the basics and what type of materials to use in different climates. We don't have time for actually building any shelters, because Danae tweets a whistle and orders everyone to switch stations before Phaidra is done talking.

My group is pushed over to the cardio stations next, where our trainer is an ironically weak-looking man called Timoteus. Timoteus immediately orders us to do some laps around the track. A few people take off into sprinting around, taking this _very_ seriously, but others, like Sprucen and I, simply stroll.

" _Run_!" Timoteus shouts at my group of walkers. I break into a light jog, which is clearly not my maximum speed, but Timoteus seems satisfied. I'm not even half-way down the track when I'm out-lapped by the small girl from District 8, who speeds past. Not long after, the pair from District 6 runs past us, side by side.

I do a quick scan of the track to see everyone's location. I want to remember information like this to know how fast people are, and who will be the most difficult to chase. The girl from 8 is extremely quick, but she has slowed to a walk at this point and is panting, which shows that she doesn't have a lot of stamina. The pair from 6 is also fast, but unlike the girl from 8, they have managed to keep a steady pace. The boy from District 8 and Sprucen's District partner both look like they're trying hard, but are traveling at pathetic paces around the track.

Finally, I look around at the people jogging alongside me. I'm guessing that Sprucen, like me, is much faster than the pace he's traveling at, but doesn't care enough to run at his top speed. Macey and Tracey, on the other hand, are running as fast as they can. They're moving at the same speed as Sprucen and I, though, which doesn't bode well for them.

After a few minutes of running, Timoteus calls us back over.

"Now that we're warmed up, we're going to do some more difficult activities. First, the ropes' course." Timoteus leads us over to a high course with a bunch of different rope-themed obstacles on it. It seems to mostly rely on upper body strength since a lot of the obstacles only have handholds. "Line up," Timoteus barks, and gestures toward the ladder. The ladder leads up to a platform several feet high, where we can actually grab on to the first rope.

Nobody seems willing to go first, so there's a quick scuffle where everyone attempts to stand somewhere near the back of the line. The boy from District Eight ends up at the front. He nervously glances up at the high ladder, then back at Timoteus.

"What if I fall?" he asks nervously.

"There are mats," Timoteus responds impatiently. "Now climb the ladder!"

"I could twist an ankle," says the boy, and Timoteus rolls his eye.

"Yes, it's happened many times before."

"It has?" he squeaks.

"Climb the ladder, kid!" Timoteus shouts, but the boy stays planted to the ground.

"You know what?" the girl from Six says from the middle of the line. "I'll go first."

The boy from Eight breathes a sigh of relief and steps back into the line. The girl scurries up the ladder and doesn't hesitate before racing through the course. She doesn't seem that strong, but she's probably pretty light. She also doesn't hesitate on the more dangerous moves, which quickens her time greatly.

She finishes, making Timoteus quite pleased. The rest of us go through the course, although nobody falls, which is disappointing. It would have been very entertaining to see someone break their ankle. Unfortunately, most people make it through without falling. The boy from District 8 and Sprucen both slip once or twice, but just land safely on their backs, and the mats cushion the fall.

Timoteus takes us through some other cardio stations, including something called the Gauntlets, where we have to jump along pedestals of various heights while Timoteus attempts to hit us with a padded club. He seems to have way too much fun chasing and hitting us. However, I have to admit that I always got a kick out of him hitting someone. It was especially funny when the boy from District 6 slipped off a pedestal and chipped his front tooth.

Timoteus refused to let him go to the medics, even though it was bleeding. Which meant that for quite a while, I got to see Axel's mouth bleeding.

Timoteus also had us lift weights (which I was actually good at) until Danae once again tweeted her whistle and we got to move on to the most exciting stations; weaponry.

We leave Timoteus, finally, and move onto Markus, who is a little more sympathetic and lets Axel go off to the medics in order to get his tooth treated. Markus explains that we're not going to fight with anyone else yet, even trainers, so we're just going to practice with dummies and targets.

Markus announces that he'll teach us the basics of each weapon, so we can find what feels natural and practice with it even more after lunch. He has us start with axes, which seems like a questionable choice, considering most of our group is weak and probably won't be able to wield an axe.

Markus teaches us the form and hand-placement for melee fighting, then lets the people who are better with axes (Sprucen, his District partner, and I) to practice _throwing_ the axes at targets. Axel, who can barely hold his axe up, wants to practice throwing the axe, as well, but Markus seems hesitant since Axel can barely use it at all. He explains that it might be dangerous, but when Axel won't stop begging to attempt axe-throwing, Markus announces that we'll move on to swords.

Markus teaches us the basics of swords and daggers, then moves on to the distance weapons. Nobody excels at archery, although the girl from 6 isn't too bad with a crossbow. When we move onto throwing knives, Axel shocks everyone by hitting one of the inner rings on the target every time. Even Markus is impressed and lets him try throwing knives at dummies. He seems a bit worse with a human figure but continues working on it. The rest of us work on throwing at the targets.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I'm a bit ashamed that a twelve-year-old is better at throwing knives than I am.

Markus checks the time and realizes that we only have a bit of time left, so he decides to show us hand-to-hand combat. I was hoping we'd get to fight one another, but Markus only has us practice with punching bags. He teaches us the form for throwing a punch and a kick, which we work on until Danae once again tweets her whistle.

"Time for lunch!" she exclaims and waves us over.

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

I'm one of the first to enter the cafeteria, which means that I don't need to wait in line for very long. I grab a tray from the end of the counter and begin to walk along, occasionally picking up a bit of food. I'm not feeling very hungry and I don't want to waste any food, so I decide to keep my choices to a minimum. I scoop a few cups of tomato soup into a bowl, then grab a roll and crisp apple.

I step away from the line, allowing other kids to get food. There are six tables in the cafeteria, each with six seats. All are currently unoccupied, since everyone else is still loading food onto their plates, so I have my pick of the litter. I choose the one closest to me, so the rest of the Careers will definitely notice where I chose to sit.

I begin eating my apple as more tributes come over. Cecelia and Noelani come over, sitting on my right. Shortly after, we're joined by the rest of the group, who sit across from us.

"I know we haven't exactly gotten to roam around yet, but did anyone notice any potential threats or additions to the alliance?" Cecelia asks after we've all sat down. I shrug and stick to myself. I've already decided that my presence in this alliance will barely be there. I'll simply stay in the outskirts and let everyone else do the talking.

"Well, obviously the District 10 boy's a threat," Noelani responds.

"He didn't seem _that_ powerful," Glitter sneers. "I think he's being over-estimated. He's strong, sure, but that doesn't mean he has a lot of experience with weapons. I bet he'll be clueless in the arena."

"I still don't want to face him in a fight," Lucretius reasons. Cecelia nods.

"I'm not saying he's going to be a huge threat, but it would be better to have him on our side," says Cecelia. "Someone should talk to him after lunch and see if he'd like to join our alliance."

"Hold on," Trajan interjects. "You're only a temporary leader. We should be in agreement before adding someone to the group."

"Fine," Cecelia sighs. "Let's vote on it. Who wants the District 10 boy to join our alliance?"

"Buck," Lucretius corrects. "His name is Buck."

"Okay, then who wants Buck to be in our pack?" Cecelia asks, rolling her eyes. I raise my hand, along with Cecelia, Noelani, and Lucretius. "Okay, then I'll talk to him after lunch."

"Shouldn't it be unanimous?" Trajan asks, raising an eyebrow.

"No. Majority wins," Lucretius says with a tone of finality. "Is there anyone else?"

"It's hard to tell," Noelani shrugs. "We should wait until we see people actually practicing. We don't want to be too hasty." Everyone agrees, and any strategic talk dies down. Instead, talk turns to our families or training. I'm kind of interested about life in other Districts, but I know that it won't matter if I don't win. I decide to focus on the interactions between other tributes, in case I find something I could use in the Games.

Most District partners are sitting together, which is not surprising. One table has the pair from 9 and the pair from 6. They seem to be having a conversation, although not a very exciting one. The next table has the pair from 10 on one side of the table and the boy from District 11 on the other. They're not talking, which suggests that they're not in an alliance.

The next table is the most full with the two from District 12, the girl from District 7, the pair from 8, and the girl from District 11. Another table has the tributes from Districts 3 and the boy from District 7. There's also the girls from District 5. Finally, at the last table is only the boy from 5, which seems odd to me. With so many tributes, it seems unlikely that one would have a table to himself.

"Glorian?" Noelani says.

"Huh?"

"What is your home life like?" she asks.

"Um, well…" I pause, unsure of how to proceed. "It's mostly just a lot of training. Pretty unextraordinary," I lie. They continue on with their conversation, not questioning my response. While the training part is true, the latter isn't. Even for District 2, I've had a pretty dramatic life.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Savanna Davison**

* * *

"What should we do next?" I ask Hadley as we wander from station to station. We still have a few more hours until dinner, so we have plenty of time to try new stations. We've just learned how to use daggers and throw knives, so Hadley suggested we try something more survival-based.

"How about shelter making?' he suggests. I nod in agreement and we head over to the station. Its only occupant is the boy from District 6, who is even younger than me.

The boy from 6 is currently working on a basic lean-to, piling sticks onto the structural supports. It doesn't look very secure. And sure enough, when he places another handful of sticks on it, the whole thing collapses. Obvious disappointment crosses his face, but he doesn't complain before pushing the sticks aside and trying again.

I glance at Hadley and notice that he is looking at me with a pleading expression. I'm not good at knowing what people want, so I'm slightly confused. He cocks his head, widens his eyes, then pouts his bottom lip. My confusion must show because he then starts attempting to use his hands to mime want he wants.

I don't know if it would make sense to anyone else, but I don't understand how it could. Hadley shakes his hands, begins pointing randomly, and waves his hand. He repeats the actions, which doesn't help.

"What are you trying to say?" I finally ask. Hadley sighs and leans over to whisper in my ear.

"Can we invite Axel into the alliance?" he asks, gesturing to the boy from District 6, who is struggling to keep his sticks to stay in place.

"Is that what you were trying to ask?" I say, shocked. Hadley nods sheepishly.

"Was it really confusing?" he asks. I nod. "Can we?"

"I guess," I say. "We'll need numbers to stand a chance." Hadley grins and walks over to Axel.

"Do you want to make a shelter with Savanna and me?" Hadley asks him. Axel looks surprised at the invitation, but nods.

"We should build a bigger fort than the lean-to," he suggests. "So we can all fit under it." Hadley agrees, and calls me over. I walk over to Axel and Hadley, who have already begun building a new shelter. They both have two forked logs, and are digging them into the dirt to keep them in place.

I rush over to Axel and help him hold the log in place while Hadley covers the bottom with dirt. Despite the fact that I intended on surviving the Games alone, I suppose a trio wouldn't be too bad.

* * *

 **District 8**

 **Felix Camacho**

* * *

When it finally becomes to 6 PM and training is over, the trainers tweet their whistles and people like me, who have been watching the clock repeatedly the past three hours, immediately head over to the elevators. It's not that I don't care about training - I do want to be prepared for the Hunger Games, but my stomach is rumbling and the presence of the Careers really freaks me out.

A few people continue training, but most stand in line for the elevators. I hope I'm not on an elevator with any Careers, because that would be a very scary and uncomfortable situation. Luckily, that doesn't seem like it will be an issue, because when the first set of doors slide open, all six careers pack inside. No one else seems stupid enough to step inside -

Then the boy from Eleven, who must have a death wish, blocks the doors just before they're about to close and slips inside. He's met with some confused, some angry faces but mostly looks of shock. Why is this kid so stupid?

"Hey," he says, nodding at the girl from District 1. She, along with the rest of the Careers, stare at him in shock. The doors slide closed, blocking us from the rest of that exchange.

A new pair of doors slide open, and I'm one of the people who crowd in. I jump up to look over the shoulders of the boy from District 10 to see which buttons are being pressed.

"Hey, can you press the one for Floor 8 - thanks." I stop jumping, which is good becomes it was earning me some odd looks. The elevator shoots up several floors, occasionally stopping to let people off. We reach what I think is Floor 8, and I squeeze through some people to step off.

The doors shut behind me and I begin to walk toward my room when I realize the girl I stepped off with is not Linen. She's teh girl from District 7, who is staring at me.

"Is this not Floor 8?" I ask. She shakes her head. "Shoot."

I walk back over to the elevator and press the up button, but I know that it will take a while before the elevator returns for me. I sigh and stand still, uncomfortable. I glance over at the girl from District 7, who is still watching me.

"I'm Felix, by the way," I say.

"I'm Zaira," she says. There's a moment of silence when she still doesn't move and the elevator doesn't arrive.

"Do you want something, or…?" I prompt when she doesn't say anything.

"Oh, no, sorry. I didn't mean to just be staring at you," she says, laughing uncomfortably. "I just couldn't think of anything to say."

"Okay," I nod. "Then I'll say something." I pause, trying to think of something to say but nothing seems casual. "Now I'm standing quietly," I laugh, after a few seconds. The elevator dings and opens for me. I reluctantly step inside but hold the door-open button. "Hey, um… does the idea of being in an alliance intrigue you?"

"Yeah," Zaira says after thinking for a moment. "The 'idea of being in an alliance _intrigues_ me'. I'll see you at training tomorrow."

"Cool," I smile, and press the button for Floor 8.

* * *

 **I know this chapter took a** _ **long**_ **time. I was on a vacation for two weeks (and barely had any time to write) and then for the last week, I don't have any excuse.**

 **I'm not sure if I mentioned this yet, but I will: a lot of the Victors mentioned in** _ **Flames**_ **no longer exist. I went into too much detail during the Reapings without thinking about the logistics. For** _ **Rapids,**_ **I decided to make a full list of Victors (after the 160th Hunger Games) for reference, but when I was looking at** _ **Flames**_ **I realized that it didn't add up. So I cut a lot of Victors. I kept all of the mentors from the 247th Hunger Games, but a lot are gone. So disregard most Victors mentioned last time.**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Macey/Tracey (obviously)  
Axel/Savanna/Hadley  
Zaira/Felix**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Nikola  
Dennis  
Tristana  
Ruce  
Linen  
Arabella  
Buck  
Yael  
Kade  
Rachel  
Quentin**

 **\- Lilah**


	25. Malakai Mavericks II

**I'm almost done with Training Day 2, but first, we get to check in with Malakai a bit!**

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Malakai Mavericks**

* * *

It feels so weird to be back in the District 4 room without wondering about what lied ahead of me. I remember Kata and I would often spend a lot of our time before going to bed talking and planning strategies for the Hunger Games. Unfortunately, she never got to set any of them into action. She needed me, and we were apart for most of the game. When we finally were in the same place, she was killed.

Being where we were only a year ago is giving me major flashbacks. I keep getting overwhelmed whenever I enter the dining room and see the exact place where Kata sat every day before the Bloodbath. The placement, the table, the chairs… they're all the same, which means it was where she sat a year before. And since no one occupies these rooms between each Hunger Games, nobody had sat in the seat since Kata.

Everybody thought it was a little weird when the moment we entered the District 4 suite, I panicked and began sobbing uncontrollably. They were sympathetic, but a little weirded out. My fellow mentor, Riley, was understanding, but I don't think she ever broke down crying after the Hunger Games. Riley is tougher than most people, though, so maybe I shouldn't be comparing myself to her.

When I saw the dining room and all the chairs arranged around it, I immediately remembered the one Kata sat in. And despite Tiernan's statements about how I was being silly, I removed the chair away from the table and brought it into my room so no one would put it back. I'm not sure what I'm planning on doing with it. I just don't want anyone else sitting _exactly where Kata_ sat only a few days before I lost her.

It's my second night in this room, and I'm still not able to sleep. It's not the same room I was in last year; Luc's currently sleeping in there. This one is for the male mentor, which is me. But the layout's almost exactly the same. Everything is against a different wall and the bedspread is a different color, but those are the only changes. I didn't sleep last night (which probably contributed to the giant headache I had this morning) and I guess tonight will be the same.

I probably will eventually get tired enough to fall asleep, but currently, I'm wide awake. I shift sides, hoping maybe a fresh position might help, but now I'm watching the ever-active city.

The Capitol is less rowdy at night, but it's definitely not inactive. The streets don't have the bustle of people, but a lot of nightclubs and apartments stay up partying all night. The window and walls of my room are sound-proof, so I don't have to listen to their pre-Hunger Games excitement all night long, but the neon lights from the street below shine into my window. They're very bright even from here, so I can't imagine how blinding they are from down on the streets.

I watch as a crowd of people exit a particularly brightly-lit club down below. It's hard to tell from this distance, but from the way they're zig-zagging as they're walking up and down the street, as if they were on a rocky boat, I'm assuming they're quite drunk. One man holds up a shiny object in the air triumphantly. After a moment I realize that it's a sword. I look more closely at the others and realize that at least half of them have similar weapons in hand.

 _They're celebrating the Hunger Games_. The thought infuriates me. How could they celebrate something that caused the deaths of so many innocent children, including my best friend? I know they're entertained by watching them, something which I still don't get, but I've never seen anyone celebrate the Hunger Games with weapons in hand.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. This is the Capitol, after all. Skipping around watching innocent kids slaughter one another is what amuses them, so why should I be surprised they want to wave fake swords and party until one in the morning to show their excitement for the upcoming Hunger Games?

I stand up to close my drapes, but before I can reach the window, I hear a banging at the door. After hours of silence, the sudden noise shocks me. I jump slightly, then walk over to the door. I'm surprised someone's knocking this late at night; Noelania and Luc wouldn't come to me with their problems, Riley doesn't have problems (or solves them by herself), and Tiernan is too concerned with his beauty sleep to wake up at 1 AM.

I open the door and a disheveled woman I've never seen before stands at the door, looking extremely nervous. Before I can ask who she is and what she's doing in the District 4 suite, she grabs me by my pajama shirt and yanks me out into the hallway.

"Wha-?" I sputter, startled, but the woman holds a finger to her lips to tell me to be quiet. I comply but hold my ground. She's not strong enough to pull me toward the elevator, which seems like what she's trying to do, so she stands still as well. She has a pretty bland appearance compared to most of the Capitol's genetic alterations and extravagant outfits; the only alteration I can see on her is the tip of a tattoo on her neck. The rest is hidden by the color of her black shirt.

"We need to talk in private," she says in a voice so low I can barely hear her.

"Who are you and why are you talking like that?" I demand. She holds her finger to her lips again to remind me to be quiet. She's a little more impatient this time.

"I'll explain everything as soon as we get somewhere that isn't bugged," she whispers and tries pulling me toward the elevator again. I reluctantly follow her, but she doesn't release her tight grip on my shirt. When we reach the elevator, she impatiently presses the button. When it doesn't come immediately, she presses it several more times.

"Relax," I mutter under my breath. She pretends not to hear me. The doors open not long after, and she pulls me inside, which was unnecessary since I was already stepping inside. The doors close and she hits the button for the roof. "Okay so why are we going to the roof?" I ask, but am once again met with an impatient finger to the lips. She discreetly nods upwards. I follow her gaze and see nothing. However, after a moment of looking, I notice a very tiny black dot in the corner of the wall. It must be one of the microphones this woman is so paranoid about.

The doors open at the roof, and she pulls me outside.

I've never been up here before. It's open to tributes, but I didn't really see the point before I entered the Hunger Games. The roof holds a garden, which must be mostly for brightening up the building since a lot of the plants seem to be flowers with no use that I know of. The wind is thick up here and must be hiding any words we exchange from microphones; that's why she wanted to come up here. But I still have no idea _why_ she wants to have a private conversation with me. She still seems nervous about cameras, so pulls me between a large shrub and flower bush.

"Listen, this is really important so you can't tell anyone," she says, still whispering, although a little louder than before.

"I kind of got that from the way you were whispering and dragging me up here."

"Alright, be serious right now. My life is in danger, as are many other peoples'. And I believe yours is, as well."

* * *

 **I'll explain the rest of this soon, but for now, you'll have to wait and see what this woman is talking about.**

 **\- Lilah**


	26. Training Day 2

**I know I'm posting this pretty soon after last chapter, and I just want to clarify that I did not write this in the span of a day. I know some people can, but I cannot, especially since I'm really lazy and it's hard for me to become motivated. I had this almost finished before I wrote Malakai's chapter, so it didn't take me long to finish this.**

 **And as usual, I apologize for grammar/spelling mistakes. After I finish writing a chapter I just want to post it, so I don't bother reading through what I just wrote to check for mistakes. I'm sure there are several, but I'm not going to bother checking for them.**

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glitter Monique**

* * *

I wake up earlier than I did yesterday, eager to continue training. Yesterday morning, I was exhausted from the drama of the previous night. Waving from a chariot may not seem like a big deal, but entering the Capitol, seeing all of the sponsors, getting acquainted with my room; it's a lot to process. And it was my first night sleeping on a mattress as comfortable as the one underneath me now, so it was troubling to get up.

I look over at the clock and realize that it's only 5 AM. The gym won't be open for another hour, but I might as well get up anyway. I still need to eat breakfast and take a shower, after all.

The rest of the team must still be asleep, because the hallway is silent when I walk out of my room. I consider tip-toeing, but then I realize that's ridiculous, because it's almost time they wake up, anyway. The lights are off in the dining area, but light from the busy city filters in through the window, allowing me to make out all of the furniture, so I don't bump into anything. Despite nobody being up, the table is already overflowing in dishes of breakfast food.

It takes a few seconds for the motion sensors to detect me, but as soon as they do, the lights flicker on around me. I scan the room for them, impressed by the technology. In District 2, I'm part of one of the richer families, but we still don't have anywhere near the extravagance of the Capitol. I suppose motion-detecting lights are only the beginning; after all, I have buttons in my room which allow food to be sent to me without any human interaction.

An avox scurries into the room holding a covered plate in each hand. She squeaks and stops in her tracks when she sees me. She looks around, unsure of herself, before setting the dishes on the edge of the table, where some of the only free space remains. She uncovers both of them. One of the dishes holds some sort of blue goop which I know I won't be trying, but the other has a plate of small sausages which have a mouth-watering aroma.

I take a seat at the edge of the table, and immediately begin stacking food on my plate. I make sure to get a generous helping of the sausages, and also stack up on pastries. I want to eat as much Capitol food as possible for the next few days, because in the arena, it will be bread and bruised apples. And that's if I'm lucky. Some years, there's practically no food in the Cornucopia, and sometimes the Careers are forced to move away from it, because of flooding or something. I know that I'll get Capitol food for the rest of my life as soon as I win, but I will have to deal with nothing for a week or two.

I help myself to the best-looking food on the table, making sure to eat until I'm full. Back home, we had no shortage of food, but it wasn't nearly as good as this. I must have been eating for over thirty minutes, but no one shows up, yet. The only person I have to keep me company is the avox, who constantly waits on me, passing me new dishes and clearing out the old ones. Although, I'd barely count her as a person. She's more of a robot servant that is afraid of me.

When I'm done eating, I push away my plate and stand up. The avox rushes to clear my plate as I leave the room. I'm honestly a little disappointed in Glorian - I knew he wouldn't be as motivated as me, but I thought he would at least make the effort to wake up early to train at the first opportunity. I suppose he isn't as tough as I thought. I kind of regret voting for him as our makeshift leader; Cecelia won anyway, though, so there's no harm.

I shower quickly, not even bothering to switch the water to warm. I can deal with cold water; I can't deal with wasting my time as I try to figure out the buttons of this complicated contraption. I wash as quickly as possible, and don't bother drying my hair. I don't understand the hair-drying device, either, so I'd rather just keep it wet.

I don't want it soaking, though, so I use my towel to pat down my hair and get rid of the excess water. When it's no longer dripping, I tie it up in a ponytail. I don't want it getting in my face as I train, since that can be a distraction. Also, I once accidentally cut off some of my loose hair with my sword as I was destroying dummies.

My training outfit is lying folded at the foot of my bed, which is not where I remember leaving it. I remember peeling it off, then throwing it on a heap on the floor last night. I guess avoxes came into my room to clean it, but I wish I knew when they entered and they didn't just _sneak in_ as they've been doing, lately.

I pull on my tight training outfit, which is simply black and sleeveless, with a 2 on the back. It sticks a bit to my damp skin, but I manage to get into it pretty fast. My arms are pretty flexible, so it's not very difficult to reach back and pull up the zipper. I have a feeling that some of the less competent kids might have trouble with it, though. When I'm completely in my suit and shoes, I head back out toward the dining room. To my surprise, everybody else is _still_ not up.

I check my watch. I have ten minutes until the gym opens, which is unfortunate, because there's not much else for me to do up here. I consider waking Glorian up, so we can go down to the gym together, but then I'll have to wait for him to eat and get ready, which will take much longer than ten minutes. I also consider turning on Capitol TV and seeing what people think of me, but that might take too long. In the end, I decide to just wait by the elevator until the gym opens.

When the clock finally turns to 6 AM, I immediately press the DOWN button for the elevator. The elevator is pretty fast, but I still have to wait for it to come down from the top, where I assume it was parked. The doors finally open, and to my surprise, the car is not empty. The boy from District 7 is leaning against the far wall, looking wide-awake. He stares at me as I enter the elevator, but doesn't open his mouth until we begin shooting down.

"Obviously," I say, rolling my eyes. "Didn't you see me slashing dummies with my sword yesterday?"

"No. I have better things to do than watch _you_ ," he scoffs. For some reason, this ticks me off.

"Yeah? Then who were you watching?"

"People who matter and have a chance of success," the District 7 male says seriously. However, I see him smirking slightly when I open my mouth to argue back to him.

"That's creepy!" I finally say, angrily. He doesn't seem to care at all what I think about him, or how creepy his actions are.

"Okay." The one word, the indifference of his statement, really bothers me. Before I can think of a clever retort, the elevator doors slide open and he steps out into the gym without another word. I consider following after him, but decide that would make it look like I have nothing better to do.

Reluctantly, I head over to the sword station. I begin cutting up dummies, but watch the District 7 male out of the corner of my eye. He's at the spear station, skewering dummies. Even though no one else is in the gymnasium with us, he's not paying any attention to me. I know I shouldn't care that he doesn't watch me, but I can't help but be bothered by it. I seriously hate this kid. One way or another, I'm going to kill him at the first opportunity.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Rachel Ivy**

* * *

When I step out into the gym, it's much more lively than yesterday. The first day of training was very organized; everyone had to follow a schedule and pay attention to the Head Trainer. Today, we have much more liberty and everyone is taking advantage of it. No one is lying around, everyone is training hard.

In fact, it seems like there are barely any kids who haven't arrived yet. I thought Quentin and I were smart by arriving fifteen minutes early, but it looks like we weren't the only ones who decided to squeeze in some extra training time. I see almost every tribute as some station, working hard.

Quentin immediately leaves me, running off for the plant identification station. I consider following after him, but decide against it. I was planning on teaming up with him and getting him to protect me throughout the Hunger Games, but I've ditched him since then. I've learned that he's a little odd, and he also doesn't seem to want anything to do with me.

Since Quentin is no longer a viable option, I've been forced to find new potential allies. Looking around at my options, nobody particularly sticks out to me. I want to find someone strong but gullible. The only strong males I currently see are Buck from District 10, Sprucen from District 7, Dennis from District 5, and Kade from District 6. None of them seem like great options right now; Buck might work, but he doesn't seem all that trustful and from the dirty looks the Careers are giving him, it looks like it would be a bad idea to team up with him. Sprucen seems like a jerk and way too overconfident. He also has the same problem as Buck; half of the Career pack already seems to hate him. Dennis is totally creeping me out. And while Kade seems like he'd trust me, he seems super annoying and I don't want to torture myself by aligning with him.

Since my plan of getting one strong guy to protect me isn't working out, I guess I should turn to strength in numbers and recruit some trustworthy, even if a little bit weak, tributes into my alliance. After all, it'd probably be best if I could overpower them. I don't plan on fighting; poison is my main skill, but it'd still be nice to know that I have the high ground. I do want them to be someone strong, though, because dragging around a bunch of kids who scored 2s in training doesn't sound appealing.

I look around, searching for someone who could possibly be a good fit. A lot of tributes seem to either be weak, already in alliances, or not looking for an alliance. However, my eyes linger on someone at the crossbow station, an area that's otherwise unoccupied (a lot of tributes don't bother to learn how to handle one, since they rarely appear in the arena). A girl with blonde hair is there, shooting a crossbow relatively well. She isn't great, but she's hitting the target and seems like a good fit to my alliance. I decide to talk to her.

I approach, wondering how to pose my offer. Should I make it seem like we're just friends working together in the arena? Should I make the alliance seem logical, like we're just using each other? Before I can fully decide, I've reached her. I can tell by the number stitched on the back of her uniform that she's the girl from District 6, but I can't remember her name. She turns and looks at me as I step in front of her.

"Hi, I'm Rachel," I say, smiling wide.

"I'm Tristana," she says. She doesn't seem unfriendly, although she does seem a little suspicious of me.

"I'm thinking about creating an alliance - a big one, so we can work together and protect ourselves against the Careers," I say, completely thinking off the top of my head. It's definitely not the best pitch, but she seems to seriously consider it, which is a good start.

"How many people?" she finally asks.

"Well… just me, so far, but I was thinking four or five?"

"And do you really think four outer District tributes can take down the Careers?" she asks, chuckling slightly. She loads her crossbow again and shoots at the target. I don't think she's really taking me seriously anymore.

"Not take them down," I explain. "Hold them off, or help each other out. It's better odds than if you go solo." Tristana thinks about this.

"Okay," she decides after some deliberation. "But I want to be a co-leader."

"Done," I say, even though I don't intend on listening to her input nearly the same as mind. I'll _pretend_ she's a co-leader, but I'll be the one who's really making all of the decisions. I'll be the puppet master.

"We definitely need to find some other kids to join, though." Tristana scans the gym as I nod in agreement. "How about the girl from District 10?" she asks, pointing at really tiny girl at the climbing station. I watch as she scampers up a fake tree.

"I don't know… she seems kind of tiny?" I say.

"That doesn't mean she won't be useful. Besides, we need numbers," Tristana says reasonably. I guess I see where she's coming from. But if every one of our allies is like the Ten girl, we don't stand a chance. But just one young child would be acceptable, right?

"Okay. Let's go talk to her."

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Kade Anderson**

* * *

I slide through the water, encouraged by the swimming instructor's endless praises. She runs alongside the pool in order to keep up with me, although she has to be careful not to slip. The surface next to the pool is pretty wet, so it's dangerous to run alongside it. I do so anyway, but I have really good balance.

I reach the end of the pool and finally stop swimming. I hold onto the edge so I can catch my breath. The instructor runs up, reaching me. When she stops, she almost slips on a puddle but manages to keep her balance. She looks a bit nervous, though, and kneels down instead of standing.

"Good job, Kade! You're a pretty good swimmer," she says, looking impressed. I've been working with her all morning, learning how to swim for the first time. District 11 doesn't have any swimming pools and if we have any lakes or rivers, I definitely haven't seen them. I suspect they're out beyond the fence, but we're not allowed out there and security is pretty strict.

I smile cockily at her compliment, ignore the tired ache I feel in my arms. I flex them, as if to show I could swim all day long. I _won't_ though, because I'm exhausted. But no one else needs to know that.

"Yeah, I'm pretty good for having just learned, haven't I?" I prompt. She nods enthusiastically. I try to pull myself up out of the pool, but my tired arms collapse and I fall back in, narrowly avoiding crashing my face into the concrete side of the pool. She looks concerned, but I shake it off. "I like to do push-ups at the edge of the pool," I explain, pretending to do a few.

When she seems somewhat convinced, I squirm on my side out of the water, my face burning. She offers me a towel, which I immediately snatch from her hands and begin drying down my body. I pat my slick brown hair dry and get rid of all the droplets of water snaking down my back before wrapping the towel around my waist.

"I think it's time for me to try some new stations," I explain. Before I can practice with spears more, though, I have to get back into my training uniform. There are a few dressing rooms by the swimming station, so I head over to those. Not many people use the swimming station, which means that the dressing rooms are mainly unoccupied. I assumed when dressing into my swimsuit that no one would use my dressing room while I was in the pool, so I just left my uniform discarded on the floor.

Sure enough, when I enter the dressing room, my suit is still strewn on the floor where I left it. I close the door behind me, not bothering to lock it, and quickly get out of my cold and wet swimsuit. My skin is still a bit wet, so I run the towel over it a few more times before getting back in my suit. The chlorine from the pool makes my skin slightly sticky, but I ignore it.

There's a full-length mirror in the room, which I use to make sure my appearance is up to code. I'm hoping to convince the Careers to let me join their alliance today, so it's best if I'm looking sharp. I observe myself carefully in the mirror, slicking my dark brown hair back again. I break into my best smile, and am impressed with myself. I look pretty hot right now. I flex my bicep, which makes me look even better. I consider myself prepared, and exit the dressing room.

Yesterday, I talked to the Careers in the elevator. My plan had been to seduce one of the female Careers, but for some reason, my charm didn't work on them yesterday. They were all a little speechless, but that must have either been from my looks or charisma. Hopefully, today, when they are already acquainted with me, they'll be open to me joining their alliance.

I re-enter the gym, scanning it for the Careers mainly the female ones. I spot Cecelia, Noelani, and Lucretius at the spear station, which seems convenient, considering the spear is my best weapon. I walk over with my head held high, trying to look as confident as possible. They barely notice me approaching, too caught up in practicing throwing spears.

Lucretius is the best, and his spear severs through the dummy's head as I arrive. I stand next to them, and they all turn to look at me.

"Hi," I say after a moment of silence. I decide to be direct and to the point; I can join the Career alliance now and seduce a female later. For now, I should just focus on getting in. I'm skilled, I can manage. "I want to join the Careers."

There's a moment of silence when they continue staring at me, as if waiting for me to say something else.

"Is that all?" Cecelia finally asks, after realizing I was done speaking.

"What else am I supposed to say?"

"Well, we're not going to just let you into the alliance," she says, chuckling slightly. "You need to prove that you can help us. We don't just let random kids into the alliance, just because they want to join. Prove you're useful."

"Fine," I grunt, slightly annoyed that my charm didn't immediately earn me a spot with the Careers. I head over the rack of spears and select a long, silver one. Noelani and Lucretius, who were standing in front of the target, move out of the way as I get a running start. I launch the spear at the plastic dummy, which is about fifteen yards away.

My aim isn't great, and only nicks the dummy's arm, but it manages to reach it, which is pretty impressive. I turn around and look at the three Careers hopefully. They look unsure. Cecelia takes a few steps back and waves them over. I watch nervously as they engage in a discussion, whispering so I can't hear them. Finally, Noelani removes herself from the huddle and turns toward me.

"If you get a training score of 8 or above, you can join the alliance," she says. I'm immediately relieved - 8 isn't a hard score to earn; I suspect I'll get around a 9. I wish I could join the Career alliance sooner, but I'll accept two days.

"Can you move? We're trying to throw spears." I reluctantly leave Cecelia and the District 4 tributes to resume their practice. I consider joining them, but I feel as though I'd be unwelcome. After all, I'm not in the alliance until after I inevitably get an 8 in training.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Nikola Allegra**

* * *

The lunch bell rings, and I let go of the logs I was desperately trying to lean against one another. The whole morning has been disappointing; I've circled through a few stations, mostly the survival ones which seemed like the only ones I'd have any luck with. I was partly right; I was terrible at the few weapons I tried, but it turned out that survival stations weren't my strong suit either. The only stations I was remotely good at were knot-tying and plant identification, neither of which are handy in a fight.

When I expressed my concerns to the trainer of the plant identification station, he assured me that survival stations were just as handy as weapons and fighting in the Hunger Games. But he's in charge of plant identification, so he might be a bit biased. From what I saw last year, not a single person died thanks to the elements. If last year is a projection of this year, my skills will be absolutely useless. I probably won't get a chance to find out, though.

I was watching Capitol TV last night and Cupid Bloke and Leandros Winthrop were discussing each tribute's odds. When they got to me, both of them immediately decided that I would die in the Bloodbath and continued on to Noelani without another word. I can't say I blame them, because I don't think I have much of a chance, either, but it still hurt to hear someone else dismiss me as an early death without a second thought.

My efforts at the shelter-making station have used up the past hour, to no prevail. I was attempting a lean-to but I was terrible (and based on the snickers coming from Sprucen, he thought so, too). I couldn't get my log to balance against the trunk of the tree for the life of me, and none of the suggestions the instructor gave helped me. I'm very happy to get to walk away, and know that I'll definitely be trying another station after lunch.

I grab a tray from the counter and get in line behind the long line of tributes who had already arrived. Looking around them, I notice with dismay that I'll probably have to ask someone to sit with them. Last time I got to the front of the line early and managed to snag a table for myself. Lennox and Sprucen ended up joining me, but I didn't have to talk to them. Unfortunately, it looks like this time, I won't have that luck.

One by one, tributes stack food onto their plates then run off to find a good table to sit at. With only six tables, there are a lot of bad options. You could get stuck with Dennis Fielder, who has been creeping everyone out since he was Reaped. You might end up with Sprucen, who doesn't hesitate to insult anyone near him. So you have to be careful with your seating arrangements.

By the time I load a sandwich and plate of fruit onto my tray, not a single table is open. I expected no less, but it's slightly disappointing. I look around at all of the tables, and finally decide on one with three girls sitting around it. From what I have seen, they all look kind of nice, which is promising. I shuffle over and have to clear my throat a few times before I get their attention. When I do, they all look up at me, making my face burn.

"Can I sit here?" I mutter.

"Sure," the younger one, the girl from District 10, says and moves to a different seat so I have half of the table to myself. I sit at the end, not wanting it to look like I'm eavesdropping on their conversation. The other two girls are Tristana and the girl from District 12, whose name I don't remember. The three of them are talking in hushed voices so I don't overhear, and seem to be planning something.

The girl from District 12 looks up and catches me staring. I immediately begin looking everywhere but at the three of them. I look around the cafeteria, only nibbling on my sandwich. My nerves are covering up my hunger, so I can't eat a lot.

The only other alliances I can spot in the cafeteria are the Careers (which is obvious) and a group of four, which consists of the girl from 8, the boy from 6, and the two from District 9. I can't figure out any other alliances; a few people are in conversation, but I don't know if they're aligned or just being polite.

I set down my sandwich; sitting so close to the Careers and other people who may be plotting to kill me is stressing me out and I can't manage to eat right now. I'll just wait for lunch to be over and daydream until we're allowed to go back into the gym. The trainers force us to spend at least half an hour in the cafeteria so we can get some food. I think the real reason is just so _they_ can get a lunch break.

I rest my head in the palms of my hands and stare at the blank gray wall, imagining home. Back at home, I would spend hours in my room, using all of the gears and wires sitting around my room to make inventions. It's something I could never get tired of; inventing things was so exciting, I would often stay up all night just to finish a project. I wish I could be back home now… just sitting on my bed, metal and wires in hand. Maybe Mom next to me… I just want to be home.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Yael Harident**

* * *

I'm calm right now. The bad thoughts come and go, not always holding me under their power. I can be almost completely free for hours at a time, with the nagging voice in the back of my head reduced to a mere whisper; a whisper can't force me to do anything. And while I still want to do bad things, I can ignore them and control myself. I can almost completely focus on the task in front of me. But then the bad thoughts will randomly shout, and the urges become strong, almost irresistible.

I have to constantly be alert in case the thoughts jump upon me suddenly; if I'm not prepared, I might not be able to control them or myself. If I don't expect them to arise, I may do bad things before thinking about what I'm doing.

So far, I've managed to stay calm. It's been tough; I'm in a place crowded with people and rows of weapons… so many weapons. There are battle axes, swords, crossbows, spiked maces, whips… even some pointy objects I don't recognize, but look like they could do some damage. Being surrounded by voices makes resisting the temptations even harder.

I've avoided people and weapons thus far. I've made sure to stay by myself, in uncrowded corners of the gym, working at stations that no one seems to bother with. I've also steered clear of weapons; I know it would be smart to learn them, but I'm scared of what would happen if I held one in hand. If I have a weapon and am surrounded by people, there's no telling what I might do. I might kill people before I even reach the Hunger Games.

Currently, I'm stationed at the animal-skinning section, which is a small platform in the very back. No one seems to think it's important, so it has been unoccupied the entire time I've been here. The point is to learn how to properly skin, gut, and cook a dead animal on a platform made to look like a very small portion of a forest. The instructor is very nice and helpful, which is why I've asked her to leave me alone. I made up some lie about concentrating better if I'm by myself…

She bought it, and wandered off somewhere. I was afraid I might hurt her, since I have to use a knife for skinning. It's a simple one-sided blade, but it can do some damage. I have a real rabbit in my hands; it's half-skinned and its blood is all over my hands and lap. The trainer offered me an apron, but I refused it. I'm fine with getting myself dirty - I lived in a forest.

I'm so focused on skinning the rabbit and trying to ignore the other tributes, I don't notice two girls approaching me. I don't realize they're there until I see both of their blacks boots standing in front of me. Then I look up and see two girls; one is rather short, with braided brown hair. The other is blonde and has a confident smile on her face.

"Hi," I say, although is sounds more like a question.

"Hi," the blonde one responds.

"Can I sit here?" the braided one asks me. Before I can respond ('no' would have been my answer) she slides into the seat next to me and looks at what I'm doing. "Ooh, that looks fun!" she says, sounding genuinely enthusiastic. The other girl doesn't seem to think along the same lines, though, because her nose is turned up in disgust.

"It's not," I mutter.

"I'm Arabella. I'm from District 10," the braided girl says, holding out her hand for me to shake. District 10 is in charge of raising and butchering animals, which explains why she was so comfortable with me skinning the rabbit. I lift up my right hand, but it's covered in blood. Arabella doesn't seem as pleased at the prospect of shaking my hand, so her's falls. "You know what? A handshake isn't necessary."

"So, why did you come over here?" I ask. It comes off as a little bit rude, which wasn't my intention. But everything I say sounds a bit rude, so that isn't surprising. I'm worried the bad thoughts will pop up any second now, so I drop my knife on the ground. If I do get the urge to hurt either of them, my hands will probably do a lot of damage, but less than the knife.

"Well, we have an alliance we've started up," the girl with blonde hair explains, sitting on the other side of Arabella. "We want to create a large, trustworthy alliance with a lot of numbers so we can protect each other. So far, we only have three. That's me, Arabella, and Rachel - she's the District 12 female over there." She points to a girl with dark hair at the fire-making station, who is watching us out of the corner of her eye.

"Obviously, we need one or two more people," Arabella says.

"We thought that you seemed strong and a potentially useful ally," the girl finally explains.

"I don't know…" I begin. But I _do_ know. I can't join an alliance. I'll hurt people; if I'm around people too long, I hurt them. And it only grows stronger. The bad thoughts, encouraging me to kill my friends or companions, only become more pronounced the longer I know them. That's why I can't get close to people.

"Look, before you answer; you need us. I don't know how strong you are or what survival knowledge you have, but it's difficult to survive in the Games by yourself. That's why we have each other's backs." Both of the girls look at me hopefully. I want to say no. I know it's a terrible idea to align myself with people I will end up getting encouraged to kill, but a new voice surfaces. This one is just as strong, but it has different ideas. It's destructive, but it wants to plot than kill. No more rip and slaughter immediately. This one is reasonable. It knows how to plan out deaths.

"Okay," I say before I can stop myself. Both of the girls look excited.

"I just realized we don't know each other's names yet!" the blonde girl exclaims. "We should probably be on a first-name basis if we want to be allies. My name's Tristana Rockett. From District 6."

"I'm Yael Harident." I want to say that I _can't_ align with them. It's too dangerous for them. They seem nice and I don't want to kill them. But when I open my mouth, the words refuse to leave it. The new voice still has control of me and is keeping me in this alliance.

"That's a really pretty name," Arabella says.

"Do you want to come with us to the fire-making station?" Tristana asks me. "I think Rachel still needs some help, and you should meet her. She's really nice."

"Sure!" I immediately say, in a voice much more chipper than my own. My body stands at its own accord and begins walking after them. I feel like a puppet; like someone is pulling my strings and making me do things that will be terrible. But I can't fight it. I can't stop moving, just like I can't tell Tristana and Arabella that it would be bad if I joined their alliance.

As we walk toward my new ally, I realize I forgot to wash off my hands. My hands are stained with rabbit's blood, just like they will soon be stained with the blood of a person.

With the blood of Arabella, Rachel, and Tristana.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

The day ends around 5:00, when Rachel decides we've trained enough for the day. We haven't been training that much, though. After adding Yael to our alliance, we wandered around the gym for some time, trying different stations. We learned a few skills, but we spent most of the time in each station chatting with each other, finding out about our home lives.

Apparently, Arabella and Rachel both have tough and tragic backstories which made me feel slightly embarrassed when I talked about my simple, average family. I haven't had to endure many hardships in my life, apart from being Reaped, which I'm glad about, but it made me feel almost guilty, as if it were my fault my family was so great and Arabella and Rachel have had a tough time. I know it isn't, but it felt that way.

I didn't get to learn much about Yael; her description of her family was very concise. She talked about how her parents were good people and she had an average life with them. I suspect that like me, she also felt bad talking about how great her life was in front of Arabella and Rachel.

The four of us stand in front of the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. At this point, not many tributes are left training. A lot of them called quits an hour or so ago. The only people left training are the girl from District 2, the girl from District 3, and the boy from 10. There are also a handful of others, but I can't recognize them yet. I suppose I should start learning people's names and Districts, but I haven't gotten around to it, because… well, I don't care much about them.

The elevator doors open and we all step aside. Since Rachel is closest to the panel of buttons, she hits one for each of our floors; 6, 10, 11, and 12. The doors close and the elevator shoots up. The side of the elevator opposite of the doors is made of glass and gives us a view of the Capitol as we rise. Since we're in the center of the Capitol, it's bustling with activity. On the building across from the Tribute Center, a giant screen is mounted. I ignore it until I catch a glimpse of Arabella's face magnified to the height of several stories.

When I pay more attention to it, I notice that it's displaying each tribute's name and odds. It's currently displaying a picture of Arabella's district partner, whose name I learn is _Buck Hayford_. Apparently, the Capitol (or Bloke and Winthrop) are predicting him to get 7th place. I'm guessing that the Careers are the six people ahead of him, since I don't know who else could be in front of Buck Hayford.

"Tristana? It's your floor," Rachel says. I turn around, tearing my gaze away from the screen and notice that the doors have opened for Floor 6. The doors begin to shut, so I rush in front and use my hand to block them from closing anymore. They slide back apart and I step onto my floor.

"I'll see you guys at training tomorrow," I say, waving goodbye at them as the doors close again.

"Yeah. Make sure you're ready for the private training sessions!" Rachel calls out before the doors shut, blocking her out. I hear the elevator begin to rise again, so I head toward the television, hoping to watch something that might prove handy in the Hunger Games. However, maybe I'll find something else to watch… something light-hearted, which I could definitely use. We still have an hour or two until dinner, so that seems like the best option. There's not much else for me to do, is there?

When I reach the seating area, someone is already sitting on the couch and the television is blaring some advertisement for hair products.

"Hey," I greet him, hopping over the back of the couch to sit next to him.

"Hi," Axel says, smiling, looking away from the television to look at me.

"Were you watching this?" I ask, gesturing at the advertisement, which shows several heavily-modified Capitol ladies (two of them have lime green skin) who are smiling cheesily and holding up bottles of the product. "Divine Dorian's Hair Amplifier: Care for your Curls," I read off of the text at the bottom of the screen.

"Yep, I want to perfect my luscious locks," Axel says sarcastically, twirling strands of his short, brown hair between his fingers. I can't help but burst into laughter.

"Smart. You can't lose the silky locks that draw all of the ladies to you," I reply, still giggling.

"Anyway, have you found an alliance yet? It looked like you were talking to a few girls during lunch," Axel says after our laughter has died down. By now, the commercial has changed to a much less interesting one about dish soap.

"Yeah, I teamed up with the girls from 10, 11, and 12."

"Oh," Axel says, looking a little disappointed. "Hadley and Arabella and I added the girl from District 8 - Linen - to our alliance today. She's funny, but I was hoping you'd join our alliance. Hadley's the only one above thirteen, right now, so things aren't looking great for us."

"Oh…" I sigh, my face reddening. "Well, I think it's better if I stick with my alliance. They're all pretty cool and I trust them, so I feel somewhat comfortable going into the arena with them by my side. So…"

"Yeah, you should stick with them!" Axel insists. "You committed to them, and it sounds like you have a good alliance going on." There's an awkward moment of silence that's finally broken by Cupid Bloke welcoming his audience back to his show really loudly.

"Were you watching stuff about the Hunger Games?" I ask, trying to change the topic.

"Yeah, I wanted to see what everyone thought my odds were. Turns out they aren't so great." Axel sounds really disheartened, which is pretty sad.

"Well, they don't know anything about you yet!" I remind him, trying to cheer him up. "They don't know about your dart-throwing skills or speed yet. People automatically write off kids your age, because rarely any of them have had the talent you have. A lot of eighteen-year-olds don't come close! You have better odds than most tributes this year; they just don't know it yet."

"Really?" Axel asks, looking more hopeful.

"Of course. You'll see - when you get a nine or something in training, they'll realize they've been greatly underestimating you this entire time," I say. Axel looks very relieved and grateful.

"Thanks," he says, and gives me a quick hug. He thinks for a minute, then turns to face me. "Hey - if we meet in the arena, can we promise not to kill each other?"

"Of course," I agree. "A truce?"

"A truce," he confirms.

"And if both of us outlive our allies or something… how about we finally team up in the arena? I know it's unlikely, but…"

"Deal," Axel says, grinning. He holds out his hand and I shake it. I don't want my allies to die… but I think I would rather Axel live than them. Not only does he remind me of home and is adorable, but he's a really good guy… he's way more responsible than I thought a tribute could be, and I'm pretty sure he could beat any of my allies in a fight.

If I were betting on Axel or myself, I'd probably have to choose Axel. Despite what everyone thinks, I'm pretty sure Axel has a better chance of getting out of the arena alive than I do.

* * *

 **I was intending for this to only be about 5k words, so I got a little bit carried away. But I'm really excited for this… I'm already doing some planning for the arena and I think (and hope) it will be really exciting.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. What alliance do you most like in terms of people and the chemistry they have?**

 **2\. What alliance do you think has the best chance of making it far?**

 **3\. What alliance do you think is doomed?**

 **4\. Which possible alliances would you like to see?**

 **5\. Which villain (or villian-ish) character do you find the most redeemable?**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Kade  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Macey/Tracey (obviously)  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Linen/Savanna/Hadley  
Zaira/Felix**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Nikola  
Dennis  
Ruce  
Buck  
Quentin**

 **\- Lilah**


	27. Training Day 3

**This is when things really start getting dramatic, so be prepared...**

 **I also wrote this in one day. Maybe that's not a lot for some people, but I have the sleeping habits and motivation of sloth, so... thanks, caffeine!**

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Buck Hayford**

* * *

My eyes crack open much too early. I don't even need to look a clock to know that it's not time to get out of bed yet. The room is pitch-black, and I can't see anything apart from the small crack in the curtains, which lets in some of the light from the street below. Nevertheless, I've woken up and can't fathom drifting back to sleep now that all of the dreaded upcoming events are flooding into my mind. Training scores, the interviews, seeing the Careers (although, it's more of me trying to ignore them while they glare daggers into my back).

Last night over dinner, Arabella brought up how "fortunate" I was that all of the Capitol loved me and thought I'd do well. But I'd so much rather be in her place, where everyone has really low expectations of me and the Careers completely ignore me. It would be so much easier to get through the Hunger Games without six trained people with weapons hunting me down. And I know that I don't have a lot of talent; I'm strong and know how to use a machete… that's it. I think the Capitol is so used to outer District tributes being weak and incompetent, that they have really high expectations whenever someone who can lift something heavy is Reaped.

I've made the mistake of watching a few channels where hosts talk about each tribute, and all of them are expecting me to get a nine or higher. I personally would be shocked if I got a seven. I think my skill would get me a six at best. Which means that when I get a six or so, Cupid Bloke and everyone else will be severely disappointed and any possibly sponsors will drop.

As for the Careers, it's too late to get on their good side. They were suspicious of me the first time they saw me get Reaped, and maybe if they had just ignored me until the training score reveal, things would have been okay. They could have realized I was not at all what they expected and just dropped their interest in me. Then they could ignore me the entire Hunger Games and I get through it without a major target on my back.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Because on the first day of training, the first time I met them, the girl from District 1 invited me to join their alliance. I had barely trained yet; we had done the mandatory activities, and I only got a few minutes to demonstrate my strength and experience with a machete, and the girl wasn't even in our group. She was with Districts 1, through 4.

But despite that, the minute after lunch ended, she approached me right before I was about to try hand-to-hand combat and invited me to be a part of the Careers. I was surprised, flattered, but mostly terrified. Because what choice did I have? No matter what I said, things would end badly for me. If I said yes, I'd be an outsider, weakling in their alliance and would be the first they would attempt to kill off when we parted. I saw how Kana and Markus were treated when they joined the Career alliance in the 247th Hunger Games.

But if I said no, they would be mad and I would be hated by the most powerful group the entire Hunger Games. Again using the 247th Hunger Games as reference, I saw how Aurum was treated when she ditched the Careers during the Bloodbath.

Either way, the minute those words came out of the District 1 female's mouth, I was doomed. I would be on the Careers' bad sides the entire Game. So I made an impulsive decision and decided to go with my initial plan - go solo.

At this moment, I've convinced myself that refusing to align with them was a major mistake. The past one and a half days, I've had to deal with all of them glaring at me the entire time. If this how they act during training, I would hate to see how they act during the Hunger Games. I bet they don't get met with rejection too much - they're probably all from rich, spoiled families and get everything handed to them. I'm sure the Hunger Games will come as a nasty shock when they realize it isn't all glory and fame and a fancy new house in the Victors' Village.

I laugh at what I imagine will be their expressions when each of them realizes what they've gotten themselves into. I'm not being unrealistic right now, either - I've watched every Hunger Games since I was six years old. Every single time, there is a moment when each Career realizes how terrible the Hunger Games actually are. Sometimes it's the minute someone dies; sometimes it's when their friend dies; maybe when they finally kill someone else. For the more psychotic Careers, it happens when they die and realize that they are conquerable.

Not too long from now, all of the Careers that currently despise and wish death upon me will come to the same realization. The Hunger Games won't be as easy as they all think, so they should probably stop laughing about it.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Savanna Davison**

* * *

Hadley's arrow pierces the target, but it's not close to the center. He barely made it to the outer ring, and we're not very far away. He notches another arrow, looking very disappointed in himself.

"Barely onto the target… I'm terrible at this," Hadley mutters under his breath, struggling to notch another arrow.

"You've only been practicing for an hour, give yourself a break," Axel says casually, and fires an arrow at the target. It's only a few rings from the center. He sees the rest of us watching him in admiration and he shrugs. "What? I have good aim."

Axel has already proven himself to be a much stronger competitor than I initially assumed. He may be small and physically weak, but he's surprisingly adept in some skills. He's fast (although, not as much as Linen) and really good at aiming weapons. And when we tried darts and blowguns, he was more than competent; he was amazing. He hit the center of the target nearly every time, and shrugged it off as if it's something you can easily pick up in a matter of minutes.

When we first formed this alliance, I assumed Hadley would be the strongest member. He's the oldest by a lot, and pretty strong for someone so short. He also knows how to use a sickle from working out in the fields in District 9. So I don't think it was unreasonably for me to predict he'd be the most talented member of the group.

But despite this, Axel's the strongest. He was going to recruit his district partner into our alliance, so we could have another older tribute, but apparently, she has already teamed up with some other tributes so we don't get to add her. I'm sure she would have been a nice addition - she seems pretty strong.

Linen is, unfortunately, also a skilled tribute. She may not have the weapon or physical strength of Axel of Hadley, but she is extremely quick on her feet and good at hiding and climbing; all of that agility stuff. I'm not sure how she could benefit us with those strengths, except possibly stealing food from other tributes; but she has more of a chance than the rest of us if we encounter a tribute.

Which leaves me - I'm still not sure what my strengths are. I can swim, which is something none of my allies can do, but how is that supposed to help? Even if we get a water arena, that skill barely helps. It could help me, if the arena flooded or something, because then I could survive, but I can't do anything to benefit my allies. I've proposed that we all practice swimming, but Axel suggested we move that to the back of the itinerary. His view was that in the chance the Gamemakers gave us a water arena, they'd also give us those flotation belts, so we wouldn't drown. He said that it would make more sense to focus on the things we _know_ we'll need to use. Everyone else agreed, which is why we're learning archery.

I'm also a decent climber, but not as good as Linen, who scales up trees like she's a squirrel or something. I'm okay at memorizing plants and starting fires, but no better than Linen of Axel, who both have excellent memories. I'm not great at making shelters or starting fires, but that's difficult for all of us, so I don't feel too bad about that. Axel's terrible at both, which makes me feel a bit better about not having his weapon skills.

But I have absolutely no fighting skills. We briefly tried hand-to-hand combat and wrestling, but quickly learned that the only person who had any promise was Hadley. Linen was okay, but only with dodging. When it came to actually inflicting damage, her lack of strength made it so she barely made any damage.

We've gone through almost all weapon stations (excluding the really obscure or useless ones, like whips and shuriken). We've used axes, throwing knives, daggers, bows, crossbows, swords, and clubs, and I have not shown a hint of talent at any of them. We knew the last one was a long shot, but nothing else had worked. Each of the other members of my group have found at least one weapon they felt comfortable using, except me. Axel's obviously great at distance weapons, especially darts, Hadley is good with swords and sickles, and Linen has a talent for knives (throwing and melee).

Hadley suggested that we try some of the more rare weapons to see if any of them fit me, but I brought up the point that in the rare event I found one, it would be a waste of time for everyone else and it's unlikely that it would be placed in the arena. So we went to archery, instead. At this point, it seems like I'm the worst in the alliance. I bring no skills and am a liability. I doubt Hadley would kick me out, and he definitely wouldn't kill me, but it's not reassuring to know the rest of your alliance is being held back by you.

"We should probably try another station," Hadley says after his next two arrows both miss the target completely, and bounce of the metal wall behind the target.

"Good idea," Linen says; she's equally as unskilled with a bow. She might have been better with one had it not been for the fact that she was too tiny to find one that fit her. She's been using a bow much too large for her, so it's been difficult for her to handle.

"How about tridents?" Hadley suggests, and the rest of us wince.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea," Axel says. "Most of the tridents over there are huge and heavy."

"Not all of them," Hadley reminds him, and trots over to the trident station before the rest of us can reject the idea. I trudge over, feeling very skeptical that any of them will work for me. If I can't even use knives, which are the best for someone my size, I doubt a trident will suit me.

Hadley begins sorting through the different tridents. They're mostly different sizes. There are some really long ones, some short ones. Most of them seem too heavy for me to handle. Hadley selects a short trident with a thick handle. I'm sure he's going to be focusing on close combat rather than throwing; he seems to be more skilled with melee weapons. Axel and Linen (both looking as skeptical as me) also select tridents, both are very short.

Axel and Linen both throw their selected tridents while Hadley begins beating up a dummy. Hadley isn't as good with a trident as he predicted, and struggles to remove the trident from the dummy's gut. Axel's trident doesn't even reach the target and skids along the floor. Linen is okay at throwing it; at least her's hits the target, but it isn't close to the center. I decide that I don't stand a chance, and lean against the weapon stand to watch them practice.

However, Hadley notices me not participating and stops practicing. He walks over to me, looking concerned. He doesn't have his trident in hand, since it's still lodged in the dummy and he's having trouble removing it.

"Why aren't you at least trying to use a trident?" he asks, sounding a little insulted that I'm not pleased with his chosen station.

"Because I know it will be pointless," I shrug. "We've tried a bunch of weapon stations and none have worked out. If knives and crossbows don't work, why would a trident?"

"Still… you should at least try. What if this is the perfect weapon for you and you don't know because you haven't tried using it yet? I know it's a long shot, but what's the risk of trying? What are you going to lose by trying?"

"The little confidence I have remaining," I mutter, and earning an annoyed look from Hadley. "Fine," I say, standing up straight. "But in the definite chance that I'm terrible at this, I'm going to stop."

"Fine," Hadley agrees. "Just practice for at least a few minutes - long enough to know whether you're good or not." Hadley turns to the weapons rack and begins sifting through for a possible trident I could use. While he does so, my mind wanders off. I haven't talked to any of my imaginary friends in a while… well, Everett showed up last night while I was trying to sleep. And Violet briefly appeared to state her disapproval on my chariot costume, which was a loaf of bread.

But other than that, I haven't seen them much. I've been spending a lot of time with Hadley, which means the only long periods of time I have alone are at night when I'm sleeping. My imaginary friends rarely show up when I'm with other people, which is good, because I don't want to look like I'm talking to myself. Well… technically I am, but it doesn't seem crazy to me.

"Here," Hadley says, thrusting a trident at me handle-first. I take it, surprised by how small it is. Its length is about the same as my wingspan, so not very long. It's even lighter than it looks, as well. I step back from Hadley to weigh it in my hands, then twirl it around. It moves very lightly, to the point where I think it should be classified as a different weapon than a trident. "What do you think?"

"It's so light…" I murmur, still admiring it.

"Are you going to practice?" Hadley asks. I nod. "I would spar with you, but I don't think that's allowed and… I'm having some trouble removing my trident from the dummy. You could get the trainer to spar with you. They're covered in armor for this purpose and only use weapons with rubber tips."

"Really?" I ask. The trident the instructor is holding looks very real. He's currently trying to help the girl from District 7, who keeps on glancing at us nervously. I think she's overwhelmed with the number of tributes who just entered her station.

"Do you want me to ask him for you?" Hadley asks, reading my mind. I nod gratefully; Hadley knows how shy I am, and I wasn't looking forward to forcing the instructor away from the District 7 girl.

I watch as Hadley wanders over and begins talking to the instructor.

"Hey, will you spar with Savanna?" he asks, pointing at me.

"Soon… right now, I'm kind of busy with Zaira…" the instructor begins, but Zaira cuts him off.

"I was actually about to leave," she says. "You can go help her." Zaira sets down her trident and wanders off. To my relief, the trainer walks over with his trident, which apparently has a rubber tip.

"Don't worry, it's rubber," he assures me and flicks the tip to prove it. The point bounces, which definitely reassures me. We move away from everyone else so we won't hit anyone and begin sparring.

He thrusts the points of the trident at me, but my jumpy nature allows me to step aside in time. I push my trident at him, but he uses the handle of his to knock mine away. While my trident is off to the side, he attempts to jab at me again, but I spin the trident around and knock it away. We continue like this for some time; the lightness of my trident definitely benefits me. I'm able to move it around way quicker than I would with most tridents. I mime a jab at his leg, which he goes to block, and meanwhile, I stab him in the chest. The points bounce off his bulletproof vest, but it would have killed him had he not been wearing it.

"Congratulations," Hadley says, grinning his crooked smile. "I told you you'd be good with a trident." Both Linen and Axel look pleased that I finally found a weapon that suits me, but no one's more pleased than I am. I smile at my trident with pride; I'm no longer a liability in the tribe. Now I can help out… and I have a chance to survive.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Macey Aderyn**

* * *

I hate everyone here. Well, everyone except for Tracey. I know that every time someone looks at us, they're just marking us off as Bloodbaths. I can tell by the relieved look in their eyes. I swear, even a deaf twelve-year-old missing both his arms would look at us and think, "at least I won't place 24th. That two-headed girl will definitely die before me."

I get where they're coming from, but Tracey and I aren't hopeless. We may be at a disadvantage, but we could survive. If we make it out of the Bloodbath, then we could live off the land and avoid other tributes. Tributes have won by outlasting others; that could be us. Our deaths aren't definite. And I'm sure as hell not going to give up. I know Tracey doesn't have much confidence in us, which means I have to be the optimist, here. Currently, I'm listing all of the Victor who won on luck and survival knowledge."

"Merida Howes from District 7 - she won her Hunger Games by outlasting everyone else. Velvet Wayke just stayed under everyone's radar the whole time, and she won. We're definitely under everyone's radar. Everyone has really low expectations for us, so it's not like the Careers are going to be hunting us down or anything."

"Uh-huh," Tracey says, still sounding skeptical. I hold the curved metal in place while she attempts to attach the string to it. We're at the fish-hook station, which is unoccupied other than us. The trainer seems very excited to have us here, since she doesn't seem to get a lot of tributes. I'm not surprised. I think 'fish-hook making' isn't a top priority for most tributes. This is one of the stations that most tributes don't bother with, along with 'edible insects'. Even Tracey and I have wandered over their yet - most people don't want to eat bugs until it's necessary.

In fact, the only person who's been over there the entire training period is our creepy District partner. Dennis finally took a break from his axes and swords and headed over there this morning. He's not over there anymore, so I assume he got bored and resumed slicing dummies open.

I hear Tracey squeak and her hand lets go of the string, which she almost got knotted on the hook. I look up, and see Dennis standing in front of us, grinning creepily.

"Have you finally finished eating _bugs_?" I ask him, my voice clearly dripping with disgust. Dennis seems unfazed and continues to grin creepily at me.

"Yes. They were delicious; I wish they were alive, though. The squirm of the bug as I stick it in my mouth… the crunch as my teeth crush it… the legs twitching as it dies," Dennis sighs in bliss at the thought, and pretends to gnaw on a dead bug. A few days ago, this comment would have really freaked me out, but after living with Dennis for a few days, this has become normal, to the point where I'd be freaked out if he said something that _wasn't_ completely messed up.

"I bet you're going to become a cannibal in the Hunger Games," I add. Dennis shakes his head in disgust.

"No, of course I wouldn't!" he exclaims. I don't believe him at all - a guy this creepy would not be opposed to eating human flesh. "I mean, it's way too difficult to eat people alive! And after their dead, what's the point? Maybe I could slowly roast them alive…" he scratches his chin thoughtfully. At least Dennis is back to being predictable and normal… for Dennis, of course.

"Freak," I hear Tracey mutter under her breath, which shows how much she hates Dennis. Tracey usually doesn't say anything bad about _anyone_. Even if they're the worse person ever. She still tries to convince me that Alexandros Divine has redeemable qualities. I'm the one who insults other people - Tracey is the one who tries to see the good in them. Dennis seems to wrapped up in his own thoughts to hear her.

"I _would_ roast you guys alive, but I've already chosen how I want you to die. Who do you think would taste good?" Dennis asks us, scanning the room. "Maybe the girl from District 7?"

"You're disgusting," I say, trying to ignore him by reading the pamphlet on making fish-hooks out of rocks. Dennis leans in very close to us. He focuses on me; I suppose he thinks I'll be the easiest to rile up. He's right, but I try to ignore him. He gets really close, so I can smell the crushed bugs in his breath.

"Do you want to know how I'm going to kill you?" he whispers, inches away from my face. I grimace and recoil, trying to get away from him. However, he just follows me, so it doesn't do much good.

"No, I'm fine," I say. He tells me anyway.

"I'm going to cut you apart. I'm going to use a battle axe to slice you right down the middle, and separate the two halves. You should thank me. This way, you'll be two separate people instead of a two-headed monster." The insult makes me leap to my feet in rage. Unfortunately, Tracey did not expect this or stand up along with me. With only one leg holding us, we quickly tilt to the side and crash to the ground. Tracey uses her arm to blunt our fall, but we still crash to the ground.

My elbow hits the hard floor and pain shoots up it, but I ignore it. It will definitely turn into a noticeable bruise later, but I don't care. I see Dennis smirking down at us. He seems to repeatedly think it's hilarious how we're stuck together. He laughs at us whenever we struggle to do something, and while I've managed to ignore it thus far, it's seriously starting to get to me.

"Stand up," I hiss at Tracey, and use the bench we fell off of to pull us to our feet. When we're once again in sync, I let go and begin cursing at Dennis quite loudly. He takes it all with a calm, amused expression on his face, which just fuels my rage even more.

 _Why can't anything I say get to him?_

"You know, even if you somehow win, what are you supposed to do when you get home? I'm sure your family hates you - I bet they think you're a fucking creep! Your mother probably wishes you've never been born!" I shout. I see something change in Dennis's expression; he's no longer watching me explode with an amused smile. His face goes cold, and I know I've struck a nerve. He takes a step forward, angry now. He's no longer calm and entertained; he's still collected, but pure rage burns behind his eyes.

"Don't mention my mother," he hisses through gritted teeth.

"Oh, why not? What wrong with your mom?" I ask with fake sympathy. "Does she hate you? Is she _dead_?" Dennis looks even angrier now.

"I swear, I'll hunt you down the first chance I get. You won't have a chance. You're all cocky now, but you won't be when you're cut in half and your guts are spilling across the arena floor. Your other half ill be six feet from you, so you can't even die with your other head close to you," Dennis shouts. The rest of the tributes have stopped their activities and are now watching us. I'm about to respond to him, but Tracey beats me to it.

"I'm not her other half, damn-it! I'm her sister. We're not a fucking two-headed person, we're siblings! You have to smallest mind I have ever seen, and that's saying a lot. I fucking hate you! You're not going to survive the Hunger Games, I don't know why you think you are. Nobody as evil as you ever wins, because nobody wants them to! Everyone hates people like you which is why you get killed off and never make it out of the arena!"

I'm in so much shock from hearing my sister scream and cuss and spit absolute _hatred_ at someone else that I'm speechless and can't think of anything to add onto her rant. Dennis looks a little surprised, then a chilling grin spreads across his face.

"I can't wait until the Bloodbath."

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Lucretius Marlo**

* * *

It's just Noelani and me now. It had been Cecelia, Noelani, and I for a while, because Cecelia and Noelani are inseparable and Cecelia is the only Career who respects me, but now it's just the two of us. Cecelia, Noelani, and I were practicing with swords, but then Trajan came over and began shouting at Cecelia about something. We tried to ignore the two of them bickering for a while, but eventually, it got really uncomfortable so we snuck away. Neither of them noticed our absence.

We're now at the trap station, which is much more interesting than expected. I've been focusing on more of the weapons, so I'm surprised traps appeal to me so much. I'm hunched over a net, knotting the edges to a rope that's supposed to release it when someone walks into the tripwire. The knots aren't difficult; every District 4 citizen, regardless of their aspired profession, learn different knots by heart. It's literally part of our school curriculum.

"Wow, you're really good at knotting," the instructor, Avitus, says to me. He watches my fingers work the rope nimbly, and I can't help but grin in pride.

"Thanks. I'm from District 4, after all." Avitus then notices Noelani, and turns to gushing over her knots, which irritates me slightly. My competitive nature jumps into play and I attempt to tie my knots even faster. However, I don't think I'll be able to compete with Noelani. She's definitely not as fast as me, but it's really impressive how she's somehow tying knots at a speed that would be impressive even for a regular tribute.

Only having one arm, she is forced to use her elbow to hold down the rope as she pulls the other end to tighten it. I briefly attempt to tie a knot with only my dominant hand to see how difficult it really is, and it turns out, it's pretty damn difficult. I give up after the rope out slips from under my elbow and flies across the table. I go to collect it, my face burning, but no one mentions it. Avitus is too busy complimenting Noelani, and Noelani is still pretending I don't exist. She's nicer to me than before, since she's no longer insulting me at every turn, but she's still cold to me.

I sit next to her again, resuming my knotting, now with two hands. I glance up from my work, and notice Cecelia and Trajan still arguing at the sword station. They both look very enraged; Trajan's hands are flying all over the place and a lot of Cecelia's dirty blonde hair has come loose from her ponytail. It's hanging around her face, but she doesn't seem to notice or care.

"Do you know what Cecelia and Trajan are arguing about?" I ask Noelani.

"Yes," she nods. I expect her to explain to me _what_ they're arguing about, but she stays silent. It's very passive-aggressive. After a minute of silence, I talk again.

"Will you tell me what they're arguing about?"

"No."

I groan and roll my eyes. Mercury literally would not stop talking about what a great girl Noelani was. When I was considering Volunteering, one of the things that swayed me was the assurance that I would not be going into the arena with an idiot or a monster. Mercury talked my ear off about how nice (and hot) she was, and in my mind, I thought, "it's great that my District partner will be such a swell girl!" Except, I didn't use the word 'swell' so it didn't sound as stupid.

But so far, all Noelani has shown me is bitterness. I get that she's disappointed she's not with Mercury, but she should probably be thanking me! She clearly liked him, so now she doesn't have to see him die. And I'm probably a less threatening tribute than my brother, which ups her odds. I would think that she'd have come around to me by now.

"What's your problem?" I demand. Noelani stares at me, surprised that I finally lost my cool.

"Huh?"

"I've been really nice to you so far, and you've been a complete bi...bad person to me," I say, my voice wavering nervously at the end. She's glaring daggers at me.

"Nice save," Avitus mutters under his breath. We both ignore him.

"I understand why you were mad at first, but it bothers me that you haven't forgiven me yet. It's not _that_ big of a deal that I volunteered instead of Mercury. And I think my reasons were okay. I wanted to prove myself - I'm sure you can understand, considering your missing arm puts you at a major disadvantage and everyone expects less of you because of it," I shout.

Noelani doesn't say anything, but this time, it isn't passive-aggression. She's a little bit speechless, but she seems to be thinking. I pause, my large nostrils flaring. I'm a little bit afraid of what she'll say, because despite her missing an arm, I'm still afraid of her. I run over a thousand possibilities of what she'll say next in the silence that ensues, but what she _does_ say was not one of the things I expected.

"I'm sorry," she says quietly.

"Huh?" I ask, shocked. Avitus looks very uncomfortable, and tries to distract himself by playing with a loose bit of rope.

"I guess I haven't been very fair to you," Noelani sighs, and my brown eyes widen even more. I would not have expected any of this to be coming out of Noelani's mouth in a million years. She seemed like the type of person who would not apologize if she was being _tortured_ and all she had to say to be free was 'I'm sorry'. "I was just surprised, and then upset, and then…" her voice trails off and she blushes.

"You know what? I think I'm going to go to the bathroom," Avitus says, standing up. "Will you guys miss me? No? Alright, I'm out of here." He rushes off before either of us can respond.

"I'm not going to explain everything to you, because it's really complicated and I'm confused about most of it, but… the main reason why I was so mean to you was that I was upset I didn't get to go into the arena with Mercury… your brother," Noelani says.

"Why, though?" I ask, regaining my voice after a few minutes of stammering. "Why would you want to go into the arena with someone you got sort of attached to?"

"I trusted him. I knew we had each other's backs in the arena, and we had a plan, and then suddenly, our strategy got thrown out of the window when you volunteered. It was all kind of confusing, and I felt really alone and lost," Noelani admits. Then she stiffens up and stops talking. It looks like she didn't mean to spill _that_ much information.

"Okay," I finally say. My knots lay long-forgotten in front of me. "Well, I'm willing to be your ally. I can have your back."

"It's not the same as with Mercury," she says. "I've known him for ten years. I've known you for less than a week."

"Well, I've heard about you for ten years," I remind her. "And I bet Mercury's mentioned me a few times. It's not like we're complete strangers. I'm honestly surprised we hadn't met prior to the Reaping." Noelani shrugs, still looking hesitant.

"I still don't trust you all the way."

"Okay, then you can trust me a little bit," I suggest. "We don't need to have known each other for a decade to trust each other. I trust you completely."

"That's a little hasty," she winces.

"Well, are you going to betray me?" I ask her. She shakes her head. "Then I'm right to."

"Don't expect me to trust you completely."

"I don't."

"But I'll trust you a little bit," Noelani smiles. It's very small, but it's the first time I've seen her smile at _me_. Which is definitely good. Maybe Mercury was right. Maybe Noelani isn't a bad person, after all.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

I storm away from Trajan, practically throwing my sword back at the weapons rack. It knocks the entire weapons rack to floor, which makes a _lot_ of noise. I'm pretty sure most eyes were turned on Trajan and me when we were arguing, but now they're definitely in this direction. The noise startles me, and I consider picking up all of the swords, but avoxes have already rushed over and begun re-organizing everything.

I look at Trajan, and he scowls at me. His sword is tucked under his arm. Light from the fixture overhead glints off the shiny metal and shines in my eyes, bothering me even more, for some reason. I turn on my foot and head over to the trap-making station, rage pumping in my veins.

Noelani and Luc are sitting around the table, working on impressive traps. The instructor isn't anywhere to be seen, which is surprising, since most places in the training center have a trainer stationed at them at all times. I fall into the chair next to Noelani, groaning. Instead of working on a trap, I watch Trajan, my hate for him growing.

Most of the time, District partners get along fairly well. They're the most common type of alliance, and even if they don't align, they usually get along well. District partners killing each other is very uncommon, since your own District usually hates you afterward; and it's just seen as common courtesy to not kill someone from your home.

But I seriously hate Trajan. There are a lot of people I don't like, but Trajan tops the list. Everyone else comes nowhere close. If I had two bullets and a gun and was in a room with Alexandros Divine, my abusive father, and Trajan, I would shoot Trajan twice.

I was just practicing my sword skills with Noelani and Luc when Trajan came up to me. He told me that I needed to add Sprucen Willes to the alliance, and if I didn't, he would kill me before the Hunger Games began and take the role of leader and add Sprucen Willes to the alliance anyway.

I didn't believe his threat, so I said no. Then he said some stupid nonsense about Sprucen being a wolf or something like that, which reminded of me of our first conversation, on the train, when I realized how much I really hated this kid. Everything only escalated from there, when Trajan started yelling about how pissed he was that I got to be the leader and I was shouting at him because I thought how stupid his whole "separating the wolves and sheep" thing is.

"Are you going to make a trap?" Luc finally asks. He and Noelani both have really nice traps so far, so I think it will be fairly easy.

"I guess," I say, looking around. "Where's the trainer?"

"He got uncomfortable when we were arguing so he made up some lie about having to go to the bathroom and hasn't been back since," Noelani says, and she and Luc both laugh. I'm really startled by the fact that they're getting along, and it must show on my face, because they laugh even harder. I am relieved that they're getting along, though. I like both Noelani and Luc (although, I prefer Noelani by a considerable amount) and it's been sort of awkward when the three of us train together.

"Are there any pamphlets or anything of how to create this trap?" I ask, looking around the table. I sift through all of the clutter on the table, but don't find anything.

"Unfortunately, no," Noelani says. "I'll show you, though."

Noelani begins explaining how to make the trap, which is way more complicated than I thought. When it comes to tying knots, I'm a complete disaster. I fumble with the rope, and keep messing up and having to start over. Noelani is very patient and good at explaining, but I'm terrible at this. Finally, she takes the rope from me.

"Here, I'll just do it," she says. I breathe a sigh of relief, which is quickly replaced by amazement at how great she is at tying knots. Her fingers move gracefully, and she doesn't even hesitate when threading the rope through the loop. She grins, blushing slightly, when she sees me gaping at her skill. "We tie a lot of knots in District 4," she explains. Even so, it's incredible how great she is. I'm so in awe, I forget to be embarrassed that a one-armed girl is a better knot-tyer than me.

She finishes tying all of the knots, and hands the project back to me, but I refuse.

"I'm hopeless," I admit, which is something I don't often do. I'm usually very determined to complete every task I start, but I think trap-making is a lost cause. I'd much rather watch Noelani work on her project than do it myself. "I'll just watch you continue."

"Okay," Noelani laughs a little self-consciously, but continues on with her project. I watch in awe as her and her single arm manage to create a trap far better than I could, even if I had _ten_ arms. Her wavy auburn hair falls in front of her face and she's forced to stop the project to push it out of her face. When she does, the knot she was tying comes loose again and she's forced to start over. She doesn't complain, just redoes it.

How does she have so much patience? I don't think I could stand having only one arm; I'd get annoyed so fast. Maybe her patience is one of the reasons I already trust her so much.

When I volunteered, I promised myself I wouldn't get attached to anyone. Unfortunately, I think I'm already breaking that promise.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Quinten Fredericus**

* * *

It's lunchtime, but I don't touch a thing on my plate. The only reason I grabbed food is that it's mandatory. We're forced to stand in line and get lunch, because they want us to eat, but it's not like they can force-feed us or anything. I suppose it's ironic that I'm homeless and live in District 12's forest, which basically means I never have a full stomach, but now, when I have fantastic food sitting in front of me, I can't swallow a single grape.

I feel incredibly anxious right now, and whenever I think about what's coming next (which is often) I begin to feel faint. Next, we have the private training sessions, where we'll have to perform our best skills to the Gamemakers and they'll score us; whatever score we get basically determines how many sponsors we get in the Hunger Games.

I've been scouring my brain all day for a possible skill I could demonstrate. The problem is, I don't have many skills. I have an incredible array of survival knowledge from living in the woods, but that rarely impresses the Gamemakers. They usually only care about weapons; at least, that's what Rachel's mentor, Hayden, said.

Gemma was much kinder, saying stuff to boost my confidence, but I think Hayden's right. The Gamemakers don't care how many poisonous plants I know or the quality of shelter I can build. We only have fifteen minutes, anyway, so I don't think I'd have time to demonstrate my impressive shelter-building.

"Can we sit here?"

I look up, startled at the sudden question. The boy from District 8 and the girl from District 7 stand in front of me, holding lunch trays.

"Uh, sure," I say, and they sit down across from me. I'm really uncomfortable around other people. I live in a freaking forest, I don't have the best social skills.

I don't remember the District 8 boy; to be honest, he's completely slipped my mind. I don't remember his name or anything about him. The only way I know he's the District 8 boy is by process of elimination. I do remember the District 7 girl. We've met once or twice, and I feel like I should remember her name. It was something like Zaya or Zara… something with a 'Z'. She's really pretty. I like how her copper hair frames her face.

"I'm Quinten," I say, mostly to the Eight boy. I don't want to direct it to the District 7 female, in case she thinks I've forgotten that we've introduced ourselves to each other before, and thinks it's rude or something. I don't want her to think I'm rude.

...I'm really overthinking this.

"My name's Felix Camacho," the District 8 boy says.

"And I'm Zaira Quentin," she says. The moment she says her name, I remember it. My guesses were close, but slightly off. She doesn't seem to think me introducing myself was rude… which I suppose it wasn't, now that I think about it.

"Are you nervous about the private training sessions?" Felix says, shoving spoonfuls of food into his mouth. I'm nervous to respond at first, but Zaira nods, which makes me feel better. "I'm still not sure what I'm going to do…"

"Neither do I!" I exclaim, a bit too enthusiastically. I was so excited that I wasn't the only one plagued by this problem, that I came off a little manic. Felix looks a little overwhelmed, so I shrink down in my seat, embarrassed.

"I think I'll just wave some axes around for a while," Zaira decides. She turns to me. "I'm a lumberjack back in District 7, so I have some experience with axes. You're from District 12, right? Do you know how to use a pickaxe and stuff?" I shake my head.

"I live in the woods, so I'm not a miner or anything."

I don't even think about the words until they leave my mouth. When they do, my eyes widen and I freeze, astounded that I just let it slip that I'm homeless. Felix looks a little surprised, but Zaira is _thrilled_.

"Me too!" she exclaims, even more manic than I sounded. Tributes at nearby tables turn to look at us.

"Really?" I ask, shocked, as well. Zaira nods enthusiastically.

"You _have_ to join our alliance," she says. She then remembers Felix, and turns to him, apologetically. "Sorry… can he join our alliance?" Felix is still a little surprised after discovering that both Zaira and I are homeless and live in illegal territory, but shakes it off and smiles.

"Of course. The more the merrier, right?"

We launch into a conversation about our homelives. It's clear Zaira and Felix haven't discussed it much, which is great, since it allows me to catch up on old information pretty quick. I don't think any of us have the best parents, so we sort of glaze over the topic. Felix says something about his parents being unsupportive and doesn't go into much more details, while Zaira quickly mentions that she's an orphan and then we move onto a more light-hearted topic.

We decide to list the good things about our District. Zaira and I enthuse about the woods, but since Felix's from District 8, he doesn't have a lot to contribute in the discussion of the woods. But we do have a fun time describing the wilderness to Felix. Zaira's a really good storyteller, so she handles most of the descriptions, but I add in a lot of details about animals, which she doesn't seem to have a lot of experience with.

We get so wrapped up in our conversations, when hardly realize the time passage. So it comes as a shock when two Peacekeepers march in and over the intercom a voice says, "Could Trajan Seth please enter the gym for his evaluation?"

* * *

 **Next chapter, things are really going to start to get interesting. We only have a few more chapters until the Bloodbath, as well. If my quick calculation is correct, we only have seven more chapters until the Bloodbath, including the short chapters involving the mentors. It's going to be difficult to kill off any of these tributes… except one. Guess who :D**

 **I'm even getting attached to some of the villains, which isn't good. And when I say "villains" I don't mean the characters that are** _ **kind of**_ **villains, like some of the Career pack. I'm talking about the tributes that are in almost everyone's dislike/hate column.**

 **I don't think many alliances are left to be formed pre-Games, but I might create some inner-alliances and stuff. I'm also going to create some inner-alliance drama and rivalries, specifically in the Career pack. I always love reading/writing the chaos in the Career pack, because having so many determined, dominant, sometimes insane tributes in one group is bound to cause some drama.**

 **Savanna's weapon of choice being a trident may seem weird right now, but it has a reason... the reason doesn't make a lot of sense, but I'm going with it.**

 **Let me know if you spotted the reference to the Office :)**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. Which argument from this chapter are you most excited to see continue in the arena?**

 **2\. Did you expect Noelani and Luc to get along at any point during the story?**

 **3\. If you could save one tribute from the arena, who would you save?**

 **4\. What are your training score predictions (who will get the highest, who will get the lowest, etc.)**

 **5\. Do you think Kade will make it into the Career pack? Do you want him to?**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Kade?  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Macey/Tracey (obviously)  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Linen/Savanna/Hadley  
Zaira/Felix/Quentin**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Nikola  
Dennis  
Ruce  
Buck**

 **\- Lilah**


	28. The Training Scores

**To be honest, I've never really understood the private training sessions. If each session is around 15 minutes long, then the District 12 female must be waiting for her turn for nearly six hours. I think it's kind of stupid to make her wait that long, but whatever.**

 **Also, some of these POVs may be really short. Sorry if your tribute gets a POV that's only 500 words or so. There's not much drama I can add in a POV where someone is just demonstrating archery.**

 **For those of you who don't know, I'm usually pretty strict with training scores. For me, 5 is considered average, 6 is considered good, and an 8 is very impressive for an outer district tribute to earn. If your tribute scored a 5, don't feel bad. If your tribute scored a 6 or higher, be glad. Don't be disappointed if your tribute scored lower than you expected.**

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

"Would Glorian Stafford please enter the gym?" a voice says over the intercom. It has been about ten minutes since Cecelia was called in. Every watches as I stand up and head over to the entrance to the gym. I open the doors and step out into the training center. I look up and see all of the Gamemakers gathered on the balcony. Leda Dashlon, the Head Gamemaker, watches me carefully. Her clipboard is propped up in front of her and I am taken aback to see that she's already scribbling something down.

"Name?" one of the Gamemakers, a tall, bald guy asks me. He says it in such a monotone voice that I'm guessing it's only a formality; they probably know my name, they usually know the names of all of the Careers.

"Glorian Stafford," I respond. Nobody writes anything, which confirms my belief that it was unnecessary.

"You may begin," Leda Dashlon says. I look around, hesitantly. I'm not sure what to do to impress them. I want to get a good score, so that I'll be able to get plenty of sponsors in the arena.

It's clear that the sword stations are the only ones that have been used yet. Several dummies have been sliced up and there's a long-bladed sword sticking out of the chest of one of them. Sword's are my weapon of choice, so I decide to follow Cecelia and Trajan's lead and start with them.

I grab a sword off the weapons rack and head over to one of the undemolished dummies. I begin to hack at it with my sword… well, 'hack' isn't the right word. It's much more graceful than that. I'm strong, but I don't rely on my brute strength. I make sure to slice at the most fatal spots. When I feel as though I've demonstrated my skill enough, I end by decapitating the dummy.

The dummy's hard plastic head falls off and rolls across the floor. I glance at the Gamemakers, nervously. They look impressed, but I don't think it's enough to earn the best score I can.

"Is that it?" one of them, a small guy with glasses, ask, disappointedly.

"Shut up, Nestor," one of the other Gamemakers hisses at him.

"No, that's not it," I say, looking around. They clearly want to see more… what could I do that tops my swordplay demonstration?

An idea pops into my head. It's something that I haven't considered showing to the Gamemakers yet, but it seems like it could possibly be a great idea. They may hate it, but it will at least set me apart. I seriously doubt any of the other tributes will show the Gamemakers magic tricks.

"Well, I'm a magician, so I'm going to demonstrate some of my tricks," I announce, scanning the gym. There's obviously not going to be a deck of cards or any other equipment sitting around, so I'll have to make do with what I can find.

I decide to gather some supplies from the camouflage station… a few brushes and small containers of paint. The Gamemakers all look really intrigued. I doubt they see this type of thing a lot.

I pick up one of the paintbrushes and show it to them. I then cover it with both of my hands, so it's hidden. When I pull my hands apart, they're empty. I show the Gamemakers my open palms to prove the brush isn't hidden there or anything. I reach my hand into my mouth and pull out the paintbrush. It obviously wasn't actually in my mouth, but it looks that way.

The Gamemakers 'ooh' and 'ah' but I'm just getting started. I set down the brush and grab four paint containers. I begin juggling them fairly high above my head. The Gamemakers look impressed, but I haven't even done the trick yet. One by one, each of the containers vanishes. At first they don't notice, so I have to point it out.

"If you look carefully, you can see that there are only three containers in the air. You may remember that I started with four." The Gamemakers do notice, and begin watching me closer. Despite their eyes trained on the containers, the number changes to two. They gasp when this happens. Finally, we're down to one.

I stop juggling and toss the finally container in the air. As it comes down, it's somehow joined by three more. I catch all four containers, and take a bow.

"How did you do that?" the Gamemaker with the glasses, Nestor, demands.

"A magician never reveals his secrets," I say, grinning.

 _Gonzalo and I hide behind the couch as the Victor storms through the living room. Her eyes are bloodshot and wild, her eyes are in disarray. She's holding a sword, and the blade is coated with a red substance. I gulp, knowing it has to be the blood of one of my friends._

 _The plan to steal from the Victor didn't work. We didn't realize she was insane, and super alert. Ever since her Hunger Games, she's been paranoid that someone wanted to kill her as she slept, so she placed deadly traps around the house. The moment we entered, Astor's head was skewered by an arrow that came shooting at us after he alerted a tripwire. The rest of us attempted to escape, but traps were everywhere and the Victor was already storming down the stairs._

 _Gonzalo and I immediately dived behind the couch, hoping she wouldn't find us. One by one, she found our friends hiding or attempting to escape and took them out with weapons she has hidden all around the house. Gonzalo looks terrified. His gray eyes are brimmed with tears as the Victor moves around the room, looking for us._

" _I know you're in here," she hisses. She's literally insane and holding a sword and I'm terrified. Mason squeaks and darts out from behind the china cabinet. He heads for a window, but she has leaped on him before he reaches it. Not giving him any time to register what's going on, she slices the sword against his throat. He gurgles up blood, then collapses, dying. The Victor stands up, unfazed, as if it's not a big deal she just killed a thirteen-year-old boy._

 _She looks around, and begins walking over to the couch. I instinctively grab Gonzalo's hand in fear. He turns to me, his eyes wide in fear._

"Run _," he whispers. "I'll distract her while you get out of here." It takes me a moment to register what he's suggesting._

" _No!" I say. "You have to run, too."_

" _She'll kill both of us."_

" _I hear you!" the Victor hisses, and begins walking toward us._

" _Go," Gonzalo whispers, and hops out from behind the house. He rushes toward the kitchen, but she's very fast and has already pounced on him. I don't want to leave, but I have no choice. I run to the nearest window and slam into it. The glass shatters and I fall onto the concrete outside, my skin bleeding from the shards of glass. I run away as I hear Gonzalo scream and the Victor shout after me._

My eyes begin to feel misty, and I know I'll break down into tears any moment. I can't cry in front of the Gamemakers; I'll seem weak. I try to hold them back for as long as possible.

"So, that's it," I say, my voice cracking slightly. I don't wait to be dismissed; I drop everything to the ground and rush to the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors slam closed and I'm zooming up to my floor, I begin to sob.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

"Axel Woodleigh," the voice over the intercom says. I stand nevously, glancing at Hadley for support. None of my allies have had their sessions yet, which means I'll be the first.

"You'll do great," Hadley assures me. I smile, still a little unsure, but more confident. I head toward the gym and slide through the doors. I walk out to the center of the gym, where the Gamemakers will easily be able to see me from the balcony. Being all alone in this giant gym… I've felt smaller than I have the entire Games. And I'm once again reminded that I'm the youngest kid this year.

"Name?" one of the Gamemakers asks.

"Axel Woodleigh," I say, my voice coming out higher than normal.

"You may begin."

I look around the gym for my chosen skill. It was pretty easy to decide what I should demonstrate for the Gamemakers. There's one talent that I think outshines my others, and that's my dart-throwing ability.

The darts are in the back, since not many people bother learning how to use them. I definitely need to, though. I grab the small bowl of darts from the back and bring it over to the knife-throwing range, since it's much closer to the Gamemakers. I carefully select a few darts from the bowl, look behind me to make sure that the Gamemakers are watching, and throw a dart at the target.

The target is a human silhouette, which is slightly off-putting, but the dart manages to land directly in the center of the throat. I turn around to see the Gamemakers reactions. They look less bored now, and are paying more attention to me. A few are furiously scribbling notes. I throw another dart. This one lands where I think the eye would be. I throw the next dart. It lands in the other eye.

Throw the dart.

Lands in the stomach.

Throw the dart.

Lands in the throat.

Throw the dart.

Lands in the heart.

I reach for the next dart, but my fingers scrape the bottom of an empty bowl. I've thrown all of the darts. There are plenty more over in the dart section, or I could go and collect the ones I've already shown, but I think I've done enough. I look at the Gamemakers to make sure, and they are all whispering amongst themselves.

"You may go," Leda Dashlon tells me, then goes back to talking with the rest of her Gamemakers.

I'm proud of myself as I exit the gym. I think I've done enough for a decent score. Hadley will be proud of me.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

Two-thirds of the tributes have exited the room by now. I feel like I've been sitting here for a really long time, which I'm sure I have. At first, our alliance was chatting and the wait was much more bearable, but after Axel went, we kind of stopped talking. So now, the whole room is silent and all I can do is just worry about the upcoming evaluation.

Nobody else is talking either, so the first person to strike up a conversation again would be forced to have everyone else listen in. I definitely don't want anyone eavesdropping when I try to talk about strategy with Savanna.

I think a lot of people are underestimating our alliance. The Careers (or some of them) keep watching us in an amused way when we train together, as if they laughing at what little chance we have. They suspect we have no skills and are just one of the alliances that have the whole mindset of, 'we can survive if we rely on numbers!' But we have much more skills than they suspect. Axel, Linen, and even Savanna have their own strengths with can benefit the group and I'm guessing that when we all get high training scores, they'll finally respect us.

I wasn't filling my allies with false hope when I told them that they could all get a six or higher, as long as they played to their strengths. And Axel will probably get a Career-level score, unless they dock points for youth. I don't know if they do that - they definitely lower the predicted placement because of youth, but it seems weird that the training score would drop.

Linen could probably get a 7 if she's lucky. A 6 is probably more realistic, since Gamemakers aren't always impressed with climbing and speed, but if she has time to show her knife skills she might be able to snag a score of 7.

I'm slightly worried about Savanna. They don't always have all of the weapons out, so her trident might not be there. If that's the case, all she can really do is show plant-identification or something, which won't be that impressive. If her trident is there, she could get a 6 or 7. But if it isn't, her score will definitely be low.

Which leaves me. I have confidence in my allies, but not in myself. I've decided to demonstrate my wrestling for the Gamemakers, but I don't know how impressive that will be. I only got a bit of time to practice wrestling during training; none of my allies were good at it, so we decided to move onto another station pretty fast. I got much more training time with a sword, but I'm sure that will be really popular. I was debating between demonstrating wrestling or swordplay for a while, and then Linen brought up a good point.

Linen reminded me that a lot of tributes use swords, and from what we've seen, it seems like the weapon of choice for most Careers this year. My sword skills will pale in comparison to that of Trajan, Glitter, Glorian, and all of the other skilled swordsman. However, not many tributes are great at wrestling. I'm hoping my wrestling abilities will be enough to set me apart from everyone else.

"Hadley Moreau," comes booming out of the intercom. I pat Savanna on the shoulder reassuringly and enter the gym.

The Gamemakers sit on the balcony, but only half are paying attention to me. I suppose most of them have gotten sick of watching everyone train, but at least the Head Gamemaker, Leda, is paying attention. I think her opinion matters the most.

"I'm Hadley Moreau from District 9," I state, before they can ask what my name is. "I'm going to demonstrate wrestling today, so… is there a trainer or someone I can wrestle with?"

Before they can respond, one of the trainers standing in the corner walks over (I'm assuming they're there for the exact reason I asked for them; to spar against tributes). He's about my build, which is relieving, but he's still a few inches taller than me and seems stronger. I gulp; he may be difficult to wrestle. Hopefully, he'll go easy on me.

We get in the wrestle position, and he counts down. As soon as he says, "1," I move my leg away so he can't pull it out from under me. I stay close to the ground so I'm more steady and begin trying to push him over. He pushes back, and is much stronger than I am. It doesn't take long before he manages to knock me to the ground.

I fall hard and the wind gets knocked out of me. Before I can regain my breath, he's on top of me and holds me down for three seconds. As soon as the time's up, he gets off and I'm able to breathe. I nervously look up at the Gamemakers, who do not look impressed. Luckily, I have some time left.

"Again," I mutter, getting back to my feet. We repeat the process, and this time I last for longer. I've learned that I can't rely on my strength, since he's stronger than me, so I'll have to rely on my size. Being so short and slightly stocky, I'm able to stay grounded. He's slimmer and taller, so his balance will be worse.

He attempts to shove me down, but I side-step him. His weight carries him forward; not to the point where he falls, but his balance is delicate. I tackle him to the ground, and hold him down for three seconds. It's difficult, since he's fighting to get up, but I manage to keep him down.

"One more time?" I ask, when the point has been awarded to me. He doesn't respond, but gets in the starting position. I join him, and we go again. This time, he's a little more careful about keeping his balance.

He manages to grab onto my leg, and pulls it up to the point where my other leg slips and I go crashing to the ground. Before he can hold me down, I roll out of the way and jump back to my feet. He looks a little annoyed that he didn't manage to beat me right then and there, but doesn't hesitate before lunging at me. I move out of the way, and stay crouched on the ground. My eyes briefly flicker up to the Gamemakers, who are watching with mild interest. I suppose that's the best I can hope for.

I almost don't notice the trainer lunging for me. I move aside, and he hits the ground where I was seconds before. I manage to hold him down for three seconds, and the point is awarded to me.

"You may go now," Leda Dashlon says. I stand up, breathing heavily. I wipe sweat from my face and stride over to the elevator. As I pass the rack of tridents, I don't see Savanna's. It may be in there, I only get a quick glance, but I don't think it is. I think my session went pretty well, but that can't bode well for Savanna.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

"I'm Arabella Cantros from District 10," I announce, answering the Gamemakers' question about my name. The Head Gamemaker nods at me to begin, which makes me slightly nervous, since I'm still unsure of what I can do. I don't have a ton of skills, so nothing I do will be very impressive to the Gamemakers. So I need to focus on what will be the _most_ impressive, because I want to get a decent score, even if it isn't amazing.

I guess my speed is my strongest skill, but I don't know how interested the Gamemakers would be after I run around the track a few times. I'm also a pretty good climber, but once again, the Gamemakers probably won't care about that.

Despite doubting that the Gamemakers will find either of those skills interesting, I figure that they're the best I can do. I might as well climb something really fast, so I can get an okay score. I'm hoping for a 6, since I think anything higher than that is unrealistic. Besides, a 6 isn't too bad. Plenty of skilled tributes have gotten 6s in the past.

I head over to the climbing station, which I really like. Not only am I actually good at it, but I really like how the Gamemakers designed the station to look like actual things I'd need to climb in the arena. There are fake trees, a rocky wall that's supposed to represent the side of a mountain, and a single rope hanging from the ceiling. I decide to use the rocky wall, since that's the most difficult to climb.

I can't rush up too fast, or else I'll fall. There are mats in case I do, but the idea still isn't appealing. Besides, it'd basically guarantee that my score will be a 2 or less.

I grab onto a rock protruding from the wall and pull myself up until my other hand can grab a ledge. My feet scramble to find a steady surface, and they eventually manage to reach the tiniest ledges. My size is both an advantage and a disadvantage when it comes to climbing this wall. I'm light, so I can scale the wall quickly, but I'm so short that it's difficult to grab onto the widely-spaced hand-holds. I'm forced to be very creative with where I place my hands.

I climb the wall and am half-way when I reach my first issue. All of the viable hand-holds are just out of my reach. If I want to grab onto it, I have to jump. I take a deep breath and jump as high as I dare. My hand grabs the hold, but almost slips as my weight drags me down. I wince - I'm pretty sure I just got multiple blisters. And I'm currently hanging on by only one hand. My other three limbs don't have any holds.

I glance over at the Gamemakers. The few that are paying attention look skeptical that I won't fall. I'm so annoyed that they have no faith in me, that it motivates me to swing myself up and grab onto the next handhold with my other hand. My feet also find ledges to ut weight on, and I'm confident again.

I scale the rest of the wall without any major difficulties, excluding one time when I grabbed onto a loose rock and almost fell. I manage to reach the top, and pull myself to the top. I sit down, so I can have a quick break before I have to climb back down. I inspect my right hand, which has painful blisters on several of my fingers.

"Is that all?" one of the Gamemakers asks. I shake my head.

"Then get off the wall," another one barks. I'm taken aback at his rudeness, but follows his directions, anyway. I probably don't have a lot of time left and I want to show my speed. I only climb down two thirds of the way before jumping off. My knees buckle at the landing, but the mat's there, so I don't get hurt. I hurry over to the track.

I run around the track once. I would have gone more times, but the Gamemakers alert me that my time's up and I have to leave. I reluctantly do, a little disappointed I didn't get more time.

I don't think my score will be anything impressive, but it won't be horrible.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Rachel Ivy**

* * *

I will not show any mercy in these Games. I'm not a bad person, but I'm willing to do anything to survive. If that means poisoning my tributes, then so be it. I'll do it the first chance I get. Then I'll make new allies and do the same thing. I don't care if it makes me unpopular in the Capitol; I just want to survive.

And if I win, I can help my family. I can afford medicine for my mom, I can get my brother out of jail, my dad could go into rehab? Then my family could be back to the way it was before Mom got sick; when my brother, Ryan, was carefree and he didn't have to try to earn money by trading illegal substances, like poison. Dad was sober until Mom got sick; he got all stressed out when we couldn't afford her medicine and things didn't look good. Mom was so caring and supportive before she got diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Now she can't remember my name.

I am determined to win the Hunger Games, no matter.

I'm the only person remaining in the cafeteria. I've been here for several hours, now. I pretended to be nervous, but really I've been scheming. Not planning for the private training session, my mind is far ahead of that. The private sessions are not nearly as important as everyone makes them out to be. Everyone else is stressing out about their score, but I know that it doesn't matter at all. I don't care if my score is good; in fact, it would probably be better if it's average so I can still appear to be a weakling and someone not worth worrying about.

If I don't get sponsors because of my score, it won't matter. I'll just prove that I got a low score on purpose, and then people will sponsor me. And if I don't get the chance to prove it, I'll just use my allies' sponsor gifts. I know Tristana will get a good score and she's super popular in the Capitol already, so she's bound to get amazing gifts. And I know she's not selfish, so if she gets food or medicine or something, she's sure to share it with the rest of us.

I think I probably need to get closer to Tristana, so she'll trust me. She's the strongest person in our alliance, so it would be smartest if I got her on my side. If Yael or Arabella get supicious (which is unlikely, since neither seems too smart) Tristana will have my back and neither of them will want to mess with her.

It's also important that I get Tristana to trust me, because it seems the most necessary. Tristana doesn't seem to suspect anything right now, but I think she's the smartest out of everyone in her group (except me) so I think she'd be the first to doubt me. But hopefully she won't if we become friends. 'Friends', not actual friends. I'll make her _think_ we're actually friends, but obviously, we won't be.

"Rachel Ivy," the intercom finally says. I'm glad I finally get to show my skills; it's been over fifteen minutes since Quinten left, and while I like the silence, I'm ready to go back to the penthouse. I exit the cafeteria and walk to the center of the gym.

"Name?" one of the Gamemakers asks me. Every single Gamemaker except Leda Dashlon look bored and exhausted. I'm glad; they'll think less about what to score me and will automatically give me somewhere around a 5, which is what I'm aiming for.

"Rachel Ivy. District 12," I state.

"Alright, go," one of them says.

I don't hesitate before heading for the fire-building station. If I wanted a good score, I'd use a dagger or show my knowledge of poisons. I'd probably get a 7, possibly an 8 if I was lucky. But I don't want a good score. Fire-making seems like one of the most boring stations for them to watch, and I'm not even really great at making fire.

I decide to use flint. I squat down in front of the logs in the firepit and begin striking the flint with a rock. After about ten minutes, I get a spark, and then my fire gets going.

"Thank you," one of the Gamemakers says. "You can go." He turns to the Gamemakers next to him and mutters, "we can finally get out of here."

I stand up and put out the fire under the heel of boot. I walk over to the elevator proudly, knowing that I've succeeding in appearing fantastically underwhelming. While I wait for the doors to open, I look over at the Gamemakers for one last time. All of the Gamemakers are gathering their stuff, getting ready to leave. Everyone except for Leda. She's looking at me with a knowing smile.

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

Lucretius and I are sitting on the couch, nervously waiting for the Training Scores to be shown. Apparently, they're supposed to be shown after the commercial break, which means any second now. Malakai and Riley are also waiting; Riley seems very calm, not scared for the scores at all, but Malakai seems more scared than anyone else. Even Tiernan seems calm and collected.

The commercial for some type of hair product ends, and the screen switches to Cupid and Leandros at a desk, looking very serious.

"Ssh, this is it!" Tiernan says, stating the obvious, and rushes over to watch.

"Welcome back, Panem," Cupid says, pushing his light pink hair out of his eyes. "We're here today to reveal the training scores. Each tribute has been ranked on a scale from one to twelve by the Gamemakers, after demonstrating their talents. These scores will help predict their placements, and is a very important moment for sponsors."

"We'll start with District 1. Cecelia Hart scored a…" Leandros starts.

"10!" announces Cupid. "Her district partner, Trajan Seth earned another 10."

"District 1 seems to be pretty strong this year! Next is Glitter Monique with a score of… 9! Glorian Stafford gets a score of 11!"

My jaw drops open. Nobody has gotten an eleven in a long time, so this is a huge deal. Glorian has been sort of quiet during training, so I don't know what he did to earn an 11. His sword skills are good, but not _11_ good, and both Cecelia and Trajan are just as good with swords as him. He must have done something else… it's really unsettling that I don't know what it is. He also managed to beat Cecelia, which means he's the new leader of the group. Unless Lucretius or I manage to get a twelve, which is basically impossible, Glorian's the leader.

"Lennox Porter gets a score of 5. Nikola Allegra gets a score of 4."

Both are expected. Average to low scores are what I expected for District 3, so I'm glad there are no surprises there. I gulp when I see my face appear on the screen. It's Lucretius and my turn.

"Noelani King gets a score of 9! Lucretius Marlo gets a score of 8!"

9 is acceptable, especially since I only have one arm. It's the same score as Glitter, which means that she'll stop looking down on me, as well. Lucretius's score isn't great, but it's still considered acceptable for the Careers. It would have only been an issue if he has gotten a 7.

"Macey and Tracey Aderyn get a score of 3. Dennis Fielder gets a score of 7!"

I don't like that the creepy guy got a score of 7. I was hoping he was all talk and no show, but it isn't looking like that.

"Tristana Rockett gets a score of 7! Axel Woodleigh gets a score of 9!"

Everyone's jaws drop open even wider than they did with Glorian. The youngest tribute this year gets a _9_? It's almost unbelievable. What skill could he have? Tristana's score is also good, but Axel's is insane.

"Zaira Quentin with a score of 5! Sprucen Willes gets a score of 8!"

One again, I was hoping Sprucen was all talk and no show. I kind of expected his head to be so swelled that he was greatly exaggerating his skill, but it looks like he wasn't. He was talking about how he'd probably get a 10, so he exaggerated a little bit, but 8 is still a good score.

"Linen Baird with a score of 6! Felix Camacho with a score of 3!"

6 is pretty good for a thirteen-year-old, but it doesn't seem shocking next to Axel's 9.

"Savanna Davison gets a score of 3! Hadley Moreau gets a score of 6!"

No surprises there. It's a relief after all of these suspiciously high scores. 6 is decent, but no match for the Careers.

"Arabella Cantros gets a score of 4! Buck Hayford gets a score of 8!"

I kind of expected Buck to get higher - if Axel could get 9, I would have thought Buck could. Arabella's score is reasonable, I don't think she can do much. It's nice to see that the other twelve-year-old got a believable score.

"Yael Harident earns a 6! Kade Anderson gets a score of 7!"

"No…" I can't help the words leave my mouth. "Kade is part of the Careers now." Lucretius groans. Before we can complain some more, Tiernan shushes us.

"Rachel Ivy gets a score of 4! Quinten Fredericus gets a score of 5!"

Riley clicks the TV off.

I think some people might be bigger threats than I first expected.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Sprucen Willes**

* * *

How did I only get an 8? I should have done better than that… I was sure that I would get a score of 10, or at least 9. And the saddest part is that the child from District 6 got a 9. The youngest kid in the arena did better than me when it comes to training scores. Unfortunately, everyone around me seems to accept this and consider my 8 impressive.

"Good job, Sprucen," Chance says, slapping me on the back. He heads off to his room, announcing something about how he wants to be well-rested for tomorrow, when he actually has to start doing stuff and helping me.

"Good job? On what?" I demand, but he's already left the room. Zaira and Dara remain sitting, and Dara looks like she wants to talk to Zaira but it waiting for me to leave. Zaira's score was even worse than mine. A 5? That's not going to impress any sponsors. When Dara gets the hint that I'm not planning on leaving the couch, the go off to Zaira's room to discuss strategy. The only people remaining in the room are me and our escort, Leon Parshener.

Leon likes to stay up late watching soap operas, which is why all night long I hear super cheesy dialogue and music coming from the living room. Leon sits next to me and switches on the TV. He begins flipping through channels, looking for a soap opera he can watch.

"You know, I was really disappointed when _Love of a Rivertrance_ was cancelled," Leon says, shaking his head sadly. "But both of the stars were murdered, so it's not like they could really continue it, could they?"

"They were murdered?" I ask, interested now. Leon looks surprised that I'm actually showing interest in any of his hobbies.

"Yeah. They were found dead last year, and nobody knows who did it, yet."

"There's a murderer on the loose?" I ask, excitedly.

"If that's how you want to put it, then, yes. There is a murderer on the loose," Leon says, rather stiffly.

"That's awesome!" I exclaim.

"No it's not." I frown at him. Then I stand up and trudge over to the elevator. "Where are you going?"

"To the roof. I want some fresh air," I reply, jamming my thumb into the UP button.

"You're just going to walk out in the middle of a conversation?" Leon asks, sounding offended.

"Yes." The doors open and I step inside. I immediately press the button for the rooftop, then repeatedly push the door close button in case Leon wants to lecture me on manners. The doors slide close, shutting out his face, and I feel the elevator begin to zoom upwards.

I reach the top and the doors open. I haven't been out on the roof yet, so it's new for me. It's set up like a garden, except there are more flowers than there is fruit. I see a few berry bushes or food plants, but most of the shrubbery holds lightly-colored flowers. There are lights set sparsely along the ground, but they only shed enough life for me to not run into anything. I can't admire any of the plants, since they all look dark.

I carefully walk over to the balcony, and lean over the edge to look down at the Capitol below. It seems dangerous to just have a small balcony here; tributes could fall or jump off, then what would they do? Would they replace the tribute or would the Games start with only 23 tributes?

The Tribute Center is one of the tallest buildings in the Capitol, which means that I need to look down to watch the Capitol. If I look up, all I see is the dark sky. Unlike in District 7, the stars are blotted out. I suppose I'll be loving here after I win the Hunger Games. I'll miss the stars, but I'll be glad to get rid of everything else. I don't like District 7 very much; the constant smell of sap and sawdust, the sound of trees being cut down during the day and the night, the daily executions. Peacekeepers are very strict in our District and we have a lot of rebellious people.

The Capitol is much more of the style; I could easily picture myself living here. This is where everything happens. Instead of cutting down trees all day, these people have interesting lives. Although, I seriously hate all of the silly outfits they dress up in.

In only a few days, I'll enter the arena. I'm not nervous. I know I'll survive.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Yael Harident**

* * *

My heart pounds and I grit my teeth. _Stop moving_ , I tell myself, but it does no good. I can't control my limbs or any part of my body. I'm trapped inside this, and the puppet master is moving me. I can't do anything… I'm trapped. My legs carry me forward just as the elevator doors open. I didn't want to come up to the roof, but the voice told me to. And I can't resist. I don't have control over myself anymore. I'm in someone else's hands.

I try to hold myself back; I know I'm going to do something bad. All of these urges want me to do something bad. I don't want to bad things… I want to be a good person but the voices won't leave me alone and I have to do what they say.

I walk out onto the roof. It's mostly dark, and light only comes from the busy street below. There's a silhouette standing out against the bright lights from below. He's facing away from me, looking down. I can't tell who he is, but my legs carry me toward him. He doesn't hear me because I'm tip-toeing. I want to scream, to warn him to run, but my mouth is glued shut. I'm almost behind him when I abruptly stop. My body turns to a flower pot below. I pick it up robotically, and just have time to admire the pretty tulips in the pot before I smash the pot into the ground.

It explodes in soil, flowers, and shards of brown ceramic. The boy turns around at the noise, I notice it's the boy from District 7. Before I understand what's happening, I reach down, pick up one of the sharp shards of ceramic and face him.

"What the hell?" he asks right before I launch at him. I thrust the sharp point of the shard in his direction, but he attempts to dodge. He doesn't have very quick reflexes, so doesn't completely avoid me. The tip sinks into his arm and he cries out. I remove it and lunge in his direction. He tries to run away, holding onto his injured arm, but I'm quick. I tackle him.

He's stronger than me, but doesn't get a chance to prove it before I lunge the shard into his throat. He yells out, but it sounds like a gurgle as his airway is blocked by the thick blood beginning to flow. I want to stop. I want to. I don't want to kill, I want to be a good person. But I can't stop and I can't be a good person. My arm moves up and down, continuing to stab and stab. I stab him long after he stops moving.

* * *

 **Yep… I just killed Ruce before the Bloodbath. I doubt this is going to ruffle any feathers, because I don't think anyone liked him and his submitter submitted him as a Bloodbath. But I'm sure it's still quite surprising…**

 **I'm going to save eulogies for the chapter after to keep it a surprise.**

* * *

 **TRAINING SCORES:**

 **Cecelia - 10  
Trajan - 10  
Glitter - 9  
Glorian - 11  
Lennox - 5  
Nikola - 4  
Macey - 3  
Tracey - 3  
Dennis - 7  
Tristana - 7  
Axel - 9  
Zaira - 5  
Ruce - 8  
Linen - 6  
Felix - 3  
Savanna - 3  
Hadley - 6  
Arabella - 4  
Buck - 8  
Yael - 6  
Kade - 7  
Rachel - 4  
Quinten - 5**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Kade?  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Macey/Tracey (obviously)  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Linen/Savanna/Hadley  
Zaira/Felix/Quentin**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Nikola  
Dennis  
Ruce  
Buck**

 **\- Lilah**


	29. Chance Alector II

**District 7**

 **Chance Alector**

* * *

I feel a hand push against me lightly. I groan and turn over onto my stomach, trying to cling onto the last remnants of my deep sleep. Someone pushes me again, harder this time. I move my hand out of their way. Finally, they shove me out of the bed.

"What the hell?" I demand as I hit the ground. I jump to my feet to see the attacker. Dara's standing on the other side of my bed with her arms crossed. She looks at me disapprovingly, as if she thinks it was rude for me to sleep in.

"You should really care more about your tributes," Dara clucks, shaking her head.

"What, and that means I can't sleep?" I ask. "Besides, Ruce is doing fine for himself. He got an 8 in training and apparently almost joined the Careers. But then the girl from District 1 said no, so he was hoping when she got replaced the new leader would let him in. You bruised my elbow." I inspect my throbbing elbow; it hit the floor really hard, and it's definitely going to turn purple in the next hour.

"Well, he still needs you for interview-coaching," Dara adds, completely side-stepping the issue of my hurt elbow. "He may be strong, but he sure as hell does not come across as likable. He needs some coaching in that department, and that's your job."

"Just have Leon coach him in the morning so I can get my beauty sleep."

"I would, but he's not in his room. Leon banged on his door for thirty minutes before he realized it wasn't locked -"

"Leon is an idiot," I mutter, rolling my eyes. Dara ignores me and continues talking.

"Sprucen is not in his room," she finishes. My obvious indifference seems to bother her.

"So what?" I ask. "He probably just got up early or something."

"We checked the entire floor; he's not here. Leon said that he went up to the roof last night for some fresh air, and still hadn't returned by the time he went to sleep. That was around 2 AM or so," Dara sounds really worried, which I think is an overreaction. No one needs to worry about Ruce - he can take care of himself. What could have happened? He can't have fallen or jumped off of the roof, there's a forcefield that would shoot him right back up.

"He probably just fell asleep or something," I shrug. "I wouldn't put it past him - that kid can sleep like a rock."

"But-"

"You don't need to worry. I'll just head up to the roof, wake him up, and we'll both come back down here to begin preparing for the interview. Okay?" I ask, heading over to my closet. Dara bites her lip nervously and nods. Her eyes widen when she finalizes realizes all I'm wearing is my underwear. "Could you please leave, now?" I ask. She doesn't need to be asked twice.

I don't bother actually getting dressed. I simply pull on one of the fluffy white bathrobes hanging in my closet and tighten it around my waist. It'll do. I don't put on any shoes since a short walk from my room to the roof would make wearing shoes unnecessary. I walk out into the dining room, where Dara, Zaira, and Leon sit, feasting on breakfast. Dara and Zaira are deep in conversation, already strategizing for the upcoming interviews.

"Hi, Zaira. Hey, Leon," I call as I pass, purposely ignoring Dara. I'm still bitter about how she woke me up. I punch the UP button and patiently wait for the elevator. I'm not worried. I'm confident that I'll get up to the roof and see Ruce sleeping on the ground or something. It's the most reasonable explanation to why he's not in his room.

As I wait for the elevator, I look at myself in the shiny metal doors. I have a major bed-head, which definitely detracts from my attractiveness. I squint into the shiny metal, which isn't doing a great job as a mirror, and attempt to flatten it. Before I can make sure it's looking neater, the doors slide open. I sigh, slightly disappointed I didn't get to fix my hair but step onto the elevator anyway. I press the button for the roof and lean against the wall of the elevator. My head is still foggy - I should have quickly gotten coffee or something before heading up to the roof. How much time would I have lost had I been getting a mug of coffee? Not much.

I consider heading back downstairs to get some, but the doors slide open again and I remember it's unnecessary. I'll be going back down in a moment, as soon as I wake up Ruce.

"Ruce, wake up!" I call out, stepping out of the elevator. He doesn't respond, which isn't surprising. It usually takes a lot of effort to wake him up, so calling his name once won't do anything. I wander through the maze of plants, looking for Ruce. He must be lying down, which is why I don't see him yet. Eventually, I turn a corner and see a figure lying facedown, not moving. Just as I predicted, he's asleep.

I rush over to him, rolling my eyes. Dara's panic was for nothing. He's right here, fast asleep.

"Ruce, wake up," I demand, hitting his shoulder. He doesn't move. I rub my eyes - they're getting a little clouded since I just woke up. It doesn't do much good - I think I'll just need to fix my vision with a cup of hot coffee when I get back downstairs. "Wake up," I say again, this time a little more irritated. I hit his shoulder even harder, but he still doesn't do anything. I use my hand to roll him over, so the sun is in his face.

When I do, I gasp. I feel my heart begin speeding up, and I take a step backward. Only now do I notice the warm liquid under my bare feet. Blood…

I no longer want coffee. I doubt I'll ever sleep again.

* * *

 **The Capitol**

 **Leda Dashlon**

* * *

"Sprucen Willes is dead?" I ask skeptically. The youngest Gamemaker, Nestor Willabye, nods his head. His face is pale. "How?"

"He was stabbed in the throat multiple times - his mentor, Chance Elixir found him," he says. "His body has already been taken for an autopsy, but his cause of death is pretty obvious."

"Who _killed_ him?" I ask. I don't care about how he died, I care about who the murderer was.

"We don't know."

I sigh and roll my eyes at Nestor's incompetence. The guy is smart when it comes to ideas for the Hunger Games, but common sense is lost on him.

"Have you considered checking the security tapes?" I ask. Nestor freezes then shakes his head.

We're currently sitting in the Control Center, adding some last-minute touches onto the arena. I can see the rest of the Gamemakers desperately trying to listen in to our conversation. I yell at them to get back to work, which they immediately do. The Control Center, along with having access to the cameras in the arena, has the _only_ access to the cameras in the Tribute Center.

With Nestor watching behind me, I power on my computer and click on the file marked, 'TC Footage'. From there, I click on the folder called, 'Roof', and select one of the cameras at random. All footage is immediately uploaded onto my computer, so we don't have to bother taking the cameras on the roof to watch what happened. I play the footage that was taken last night and hit PLAY.

Nestor and I watch Sprucen walk out of the elevator and leans against the roof. The angle makes it so his back is facing us, but it's obviously him. He's still wearing his training uniform, which means there's a large 7 stitched onto his back.

I speed up the video, worrying it might last thirty minutes before the murderer walks in. I switch it back to regular speed when someone walks up. Once again, I can't see their face, but it's definitely a female. She's no longer wearing her training uniform, so I can't tell which District she's from, but I'm sure we'll find out soon anyway, so I don't bother switching to another camera.

She smashes a flower pot, uses one of the shards to attack Ruce, and stabs him several times. When he's dead, she looks up and we finally get to see her face.

It's Yael Harident.

"Do you want me to -" Nestor begins, but I cut him off.

"Go see the footage from the night before," I demand. "See if there's a motive."

"Sure thing," he says. I lean back in my chair and watch the screen as Nestor looks through the different chunks of video. The cameras have motion sensors, so the only parts that are filmed actually have people in them. Nestor scrolls through the different chunks of footage; most just have a bird or something. We quickly watch the footage for the second day but realize it's just the District 3 male standing by himself for an hour.

We decide to look at the footage from the night before _that_ , and the only video takes place in the very early morning.

"Click on that," I say, leaning forward with curiosity. Nestor complies.

We see a guy wearing childish pajamas walk out onto the roof with a woman. The guy is obviously Malakai Mavericks, last year's Victor, but the woman's head is turned away from us. She looks slightly familiar…

When she turns around I gasp and hit pause.

"Isn't that…" Nestor begins, but I don't allow him to finish.

"No, it's not who you're thinking of," I lie. Caught up in shock, I delete the whole hour of footage. Nestor looks shocked at my impulsivity.

"Why…?"

"Go call District 7's Head Peacekeeper," I order. "Tell him we need a new male."

* * *

 **As I said last chapter, I'm saving eulogies for the next chapter to keep it surprising. I know it's very tempting to look to see the deaths, so I'm simply not going to give that option until the chapter after.**

* * *

 **25th: Sprucen Willes (D7M): Stabbed in the neck by Yael Harident (D11F) - Ruce was a character who was really fun to write, but literally everyone hated him. I like him because he was a villain, but unlike a lot of the story's other villains, he wasn't crazy or psychotic or anything. He just had an inflated ego, lack of empathy, and was super annoying. He died prior to the Games for a lot of reasons, but most of them are spoilers so I'm not going to go into them. I'm glad that no one's upset. I chose Ruce to die early because I didn't think anyone would be upset - on the contrary, most people were pleased. Sorry for killing your tribute so early, Anna, but you did submit him as a Bloodbath and like other people, were rooting for his death. You still have Ara, though, and I promise I won't kill her during the Interviews or something :D**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. Are you glad Ruce is dead?**

 **2\. Are you excited to see who the new District 7 male is?**

 **3\. Why do you think Leda deleted the video of Malakai and the woman?**

 **\- Lilah**


	30. The Replacement

**District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

The repetitive thunking of axes as they hit the tree trunks fills the air. All of the birds that were tweeting when we first entered this chunk of the first are long gone, having flown away after hearing the first tree crash to the ground. Now the only noises are the thunk of the axes and the grunts of all of the lumberjacks as they swing their tools.

The day is really hot, proving once again that it's no longer spring. I think it's the hottest day yet, this year. It was even warm when we entered the forest in the early morning when the air is usually refreshingly crisp. I feel the sun burning the back of my neck, but I ignore it. I'll probably have a pretty painful sunburn by the end of the workday, but it will be less painful than getting whipped for taking a break.

The Peacekeepers in District 7 are very strict. I don't know if they're this bad in other Districts, but they're terrible here. Every day, someone new is publicly punished quite brutally, whether it be whipping, getting beaten up, or being publicly executed. We have a large population, so I suppose they figure it wouldn't be too bad if they kill some of us.

I swing my heavy axe into the tree trunk again, and this time it cuts through.

"Careful!" I yell out as the tree totters, then begins falling fast. The few people underneath run out, and the tree crashes to the ground. Several people rush over to load the tree onto the trunk. Meanwhile, I head over to the nearest tree to cut down a new one. I begin swinging my axe, my shoulders aching.

"Back to work!" a Peacekeeper demands as he walks by. I look over at the guy next to me and realize that he hadn't be cutting down his tree. He leans against the trunk, his round face red and sweaty.

"Are you okay?" I ask him in a whisper. He nods, but weakly swings his axe at the tree, not really doing anything. "Do you need some water?" I offer. He nods gratefully, and I hand him my canteen.

I only take one swing at the tree before a truck comes racing through the forest, narrowly missing trees. We have a path for transporting trucks, but the ground is uneven and the path is very narrow. Everyone stops working to watch it approach - new cars never come in the middle of the day. The only trucks are for transporting the logs, and they stay parked until the end of the work day. No new ones ever arrive.

The truck slams to a halt in front of us. A Peacekeeper steps out of the truck, self-importantly.

"All twelve to eighteen-year-old males must head back to Town Square immediately. President's orders," the Peacekeeper announces. He climbs back inside and drives off without further explanation. Everyone looks around, confused. This is very unusual, but we obviously have to comply.

My group consists of mostly middle-aged men, so only half a dozen children, including me, set down our tools and begin the trek back to the Town Square. A lot of confusing things are happening today. What could they possibly want with us?

* * *

All of District 7's male teenagers filter into Town Square; all of them seem just has confused as I am. What could be going on?

I stop in my path when I see the setup that has been constructed in front of the Justice Building. There are ropes creating a pen inside Town Square, and the only entrance is past tables with Peacekeepers seated at them. Atop buildings and in the sidelines are people with cameras pointed toward the Justice Building. The stage in front of the Justice Building holds a microphone and one glass bowl.

It's the Reaping setup.

"What's going on?" I hear someone ask, but no one responds. I"m not exactly sure what's happening, but I think I get the gist. Basically, someone else is going into the arena.

"Hurry up!" I hear a Peacekeeper shout behind me, and I run toward the pen before they can find a reason to flog me. The check-in line isn't as long as it was on the actual Reaping day when the other kid Volunteered, but it's still longer than any line I'd want to wait in.

We get our blood taken and ushered in one by one; the Peacekeepers seem really rushed. I don't think this event is supposed to be as fancy as the Hunger Games. They don't have any Victors up on stage. Even the escort, Leon Parshener, is up there. He must still be in the Capitol. Instead, there's a Peacekeeper with her helmet under one arm, standing at the microphone. She looks really bored, as though she'd rather be anywhere else.

I'm too busy looking around to notice the Peacekeeper at the check-in desk roughly grab my hand and jam the needle into my finger. I wince, surprised at the sudden pain. The Peacekeeper makes sure to mark my blood in her pamphlet and wave me past.

I walk on by, glaring at her. I think she sunk the needle in especially hard on purpose, just because I wasn't paying attention. I definitely wouldn't put it past her or any other Peacekeepers. They couldn't care less about our comfort. I think some of them actually like seeing us in pain.

I stand in the eighteen-year-old section, all of the way at the front. I try to keep my head down so no one comes over here to talk to me. I'm pretty popular in our District, which I don't like very much. I'd rather just live a quiet life with my family and girlfriend. I don't care about all of these random people walking up to me and trying to have a conversation.

Luckily, everyone has somewhat figured out what's going on by now and are too nervous to bother talking to me. I watch as the rest of the boys filter in, all taking their places in their respective sections.

"Sprucen Willes is dead, so one of you boys will be his replacement. Okay, let's begin," the Peacekeeper up on stage says. Sprucen Willes is dead? How? She doesn't go into any more detail. She doesn't introduce herself or show us the video (thank God, I couldn't handle watching that twice in a week), she just immediately snatches a slip of paper from inside the bowl. It happens so fast, I barely have time to register her reading, "Vincent Elm."

The shock holds me in place as the people around me part, giving me room to walk out into the aisle. I can't find the use of my legs. My heart is speeding up. I don't want this… I just want a quiet life!

"We don't have all day, get up here!" the Peacekeeper demands, looking down at me. I nod, finally stepping out of my daze. Not wanting to reveal how terrified I am, I contort my face into a stoic expression. I walk up to the stage. She doesn't introduce me as the new tribute or anything, just steers me into the Justice Building. "Hurry up," she hisses when I hesitate. "We want to get you to the Capitol in time for the Interviews."

I hurry up, even though I definitely don't want to make it to the Interviews. This is all happening so fast… it's so overwhelming. I don't think I'll even get to say goodbye to my girlfriend, or my parents. I can't believe this is happening. I was supposed to be safe and immune from the Hunger Games for the rest of my life. I thought I escaped them…

But, apparently, you can never escape anything in Panem.

* * *

 **So, this is our new District 7 male! Thank you to TheNoobyBoy for Vincent, I'm really excited for him. We didn't get to look too much into his life this chapter, but I'll add more in his next POV. Next is the interviews, when everyone else meets Vincent for the first time.**

 **I was originally going to add two more POVs, where we checked in with the rebels and Alexandros, but I realized that nothing really interesting would be happening in either so I decided to just stick with Vincent.**

 **Bloodbath Countdown: 3 chapters!**

 **If all goes well, we'll be in the Games in a week.**

 **\- Lilah**


	31. The Interviews

**I changed some interview outfits, but that shouldn't really matter. The only reason I did was if they were too similar to others.**

* * *

 **District 8**

 **Felix Camacho**

* * *

When my eyes flicker open, all I can see is Akantha's face grinning widely, only inches from my own. I let out a garbled yell as I scramble to sit up. Her smile doesn't diminish, and actually widens when she sees that I've woken up.

"Why were you in my room? Smiling like that?" I demand, clutching my beating chest. Akantha hops away and breaks into some sort of hopping dance.

"It's interview day!" she reminds me, excitedly hopping around my room. This cheers me up a bit. I mean, I'm nervous about the interview, like most people would be, but I don't have stage fright or anything and I'm usually pretty good at getting people to like me. The only reason I'm concerned is that I can't forget how much rides on this interview. It's a really big deal; if I don't make a good impression, then I won't get sponsors and won't survive.

And it will be tough getting sponsors - after getting a three in training, I doubt people are lining up to sponsor me. I got one of the lowest scores, only tied with the Siamese twins who can't even speed-walk without toppling over and the little girl from 9 (who, according to Linen, didn't have her weapon with her). Getting a 3 was really disappointing - I didn't expect to get a good score or anything, but I was hoping for at least a 5.

I showed my knot-tying skills. I should have known that wouldn't have turned out well (especially since both Quinten and Zaira warned me) but I thought the Gamemakers might appreciate a good knot-tying demonstration. I was wrong. My knots weren't bad, they were actually pretty good, but it was clear they were hoping for a more impressive skill than some kid playing with rope for ten minutes.

"Aren't the interviews at night, though?" I ask, after a moment of thought. "What are we supposed to do all day?" Akantha squeals excitedly.

"That's where I come in! I'm supposed to teach you about manners in the afternoon. I'm more than just a friendly presence!" Akantha exclaims.

"What about in the morning?"

"That's when Lucretia mentors you about interview angles and stuff. But the exciting part is when I talk to you about manners!" Akantha exclaims. I don't really believe her, since getting lectured about manners all afternoon is not my idea of fun, but who knows? Maybe she'll make it interesting.

Akantha and I eat a short breakfast (joined at the very end by a grumpy Linen, who is most definitely not a morning person) before my mentor, Lucretia and I begin discussing my interview strategy.

"What do you think your angle should be?" Lucretia inquires. We're sitting on the comfy couch in front of the television, while Linena and Akantha are discussing manners in Linen's bedroom. Linen's mentor, Velvet, is in the kitchen snacking and just hanging about until it's her turn to mentor.

"My angle?" I ask blankly.

"Yes, your angle. The type of person you want to come across as to the Capitol," Lucretia explains patiently. When I'm still confused, she goes into deeper detail. "Stuff like intelligent, sexy, mysterious… but I don't think any of those would work for you. If you watch old interviews - I don't know why you would, but if you did - you'd notice that each tribute has some sort of angle. For example, I had the whole "intelligent" angle. Velvet was… mysterious, I think. What do you think you should be?"

"I thought I could just be myself…" I mutter, now unsure of myself.

"Well, some tributes just answer all of Cupid's questions honestly, but that usually doesn't work unless they have some interesting or tragic backstory," Lucretia explains. Suddenly, a lightbulb goes off in the back of my mind.

"That's perfect!" I exclaim, way more confident now that I have a plan. Lucretia looks surprised, then her expression morphs into one of doubt.

"I don't know if that's the best for you, Felix…" she starts, but I cut her off.

"I know exactly what to say! There might be mixed reactions… but it will definitely help me be remembered. And I'll definitely gain the favor of some Capitol citizens."

"It's controversial?" she asks, still sounding unsure. "That could go badly…"

"Lucretia, I _need_ this," I remind her. "I need to be remembered, even at a risk. I got a three in training, Cupid keeps calling me 'Freddie' and Leandros can't even remember my name. I was ranked most likely to die in the Bloodbath, even after all of the children and the two-headed girl - sorry, Siamese twins. _People think the girls who can barely walk will do better than me_. I have nothing to lose." Lucretia shrugs, considering it.

"You make a good point," she says. "Let's hear it."

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Zaira Quentin**

* * *

 _Ruce is dead_ … It's difficult to comprehend. I don't know why I'm so shaken up about it; I definitely didn't like Ruce, and one more than one occasion, hoped he would die in the Bloodbath. But now that he's dead, things are different. I don't know if it's because it happened so suddenly or I would have acted like this whenever the time came for him to die, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around it. He just… died.

 _He had to die for you to win_ , I tell myself, but the words don't register. Sure, he had to die, but it didn't have to happen so early and in such a brutal way. I didn't see his body, but Chance went into great detail about it. And when he walked back onto our floor, looking as if he had seen a ghost, he tracked bloody footprints all along the floor. Ruce's blood had stained where he had stood breathing only hours before.

I'm already trying to come to terms with Ruce's death. I guess the first death is always the hardest. But now I have to meet my new District partner, who may or may not kill me. Or I may or may not kill them. It's weird that I have so little time to get to know them. I knew Ruce inside out, since he stupidly blabbed about his strategy right in front of me. Now I have to alter my plan to involve whoever this new guy is.

Apparently, he'll arrive only a few minutes before we head down to the interview. Leon already went downstairs to meet him, but I was forced to stay up here so my prep team can make some last-minute adjustments to my outfit and overall appearance. There are butterflies in my stomach as each member of my team weave through the room in the Remake Center, each clambering to do their job.

Caligula, a very tiny woman with spiky red hair, is painting my nails. Cornelia, whose skin is dyed completely gold, is making sure every strand of hair is in place. And Cassian, who is very tall and skeletally thin, is fixing the hem on my dress which he claimed was too crooked.

"I think Atilius knew what he was doing when he made my costume," I say to Cassian. I let out a yelp as the needle pricks my leg.

"The needle wouldn't hurt you if you _stayed still_ ," Cassian hisses to me. I glare at him.

"You do need to stay still, honey," Caligula says as she dabs a stray bit of nail polish off my cuticle.

I ignore her, looking anxiously toward the door. Leon would be coming in at any minute to take my new District partner and me down to the interviews. Apparently, they had a second Reaping in District 7, but haven't aired it yet. They want him to be revealed for the first time during the interviews. He was even prepped and got into his outfit on the train, so he doesn't need to bother in the Remake Center.

The thought of the interview coming up makes my stomach squirm. I have to deal with a lot tonight. I have to be up on the stage with cameras and lights pointed directly at me, and meet my new District partner for the first time, and make a lasting impression on the sponsors… it's a lot to handle.

Just as my prep team is finishing up, the door opens. Leon walks in, trailed by my new District partner.

"Hi," he says, nervously. He's tall and very handsome. He has tan skin and wavy black hair. My eyes are immediately drawn to his biceps, which are visible even through his dark green suit. He looks very strong, suggesting that he's a lumberjack. I'm much more afraid of him than I was of Ruce; not only his he stronger, but he looks smarter than Ruce. I can't tell how smart, but there's careful calculation going on behind those blue eyes.

"Hi," I reply. Cassian pricks my leg, which just causes me to jump a bit. Caligula and Cornelia both let out exasperated sighs as they're forced to quickly jump back, so they won't mess up all of their progress.

"They want all tributes inside the studio in ten minutes," Leon explains to my prep team.

"We aren't done prepping her!" Caligula complains. She roughly grabs my hand and holds it up so Leon can see the two unpainted nails.

"Just paint them quickly. It's not like anyone can see the details when she's sitting up on the stage, anyway," my new District partner explains. Caligula clucks her tongue, but when she returns to painting my nails she moves her brush with much less precision.

"What's your name?" I ask him as my prep team hurries to finish prepping me. "I'm Zaira."

"I know. I mean, everyone in the District knew Ruce and you. You were our tributes, so we were rooting for one of you guys to win. Well, especially you. No one really liked Ruce, save for his parents," he explains. "I guess they're rooting for both of us, now. I'm Vincent Elm." He reaches over to shake my free hand, but Caligula hisses a reminder about the wet paint.

"I'll shake your hand later," I sigh. Cornelia and Cassian both step back, so it's just Caligula left working. She finishes the last nail without any care, simply covering it in green nail polish.

"Don't move your hands until it's dry!" she reminds me. I nod, and stand up. The hem of my brownish-green dress is considerably less attractive, even more crooked than before. I notice Leon, who thinks crimes against fashion should be punishable by death, eying it with a sour expression. However, he keeps calm and doesn't say anything.

I feel my heart race as we exit the Remake room. It's time for the interviews.

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glitter Monique**

* * *

My silky red, very revealing dress, drags on the floor as Glorian and I walk through the thin corridor behind the stage. I faintly hear the crowd chattering excitedly through the wall, and I know any minute, Cupid Bloke will walk out and begin the interview process. I get frustrated as one of my heels gets caught on the fabric and I nearly trip. Luckily, I have good balance and manage to catch myself.

"I hate this dress," I grunt as I hike the skirt up to allow my feet to walk over to the side of the stage without falling. Georgia looks at me disapprovingly, but doesn't say anything. She usually doesn't comment on stuff I do, because after our chaotic train ride, she decided it was best to just let me do my own thing.

Glorian has a similar outfit, but his is much easier to walk in. He has a red tuxedo, made out of the same fabric as my dress, but he doesn't have a skirt that gets caught on his shoes. And the back of his outfit doesn't slope all the way down to his tailbone. And the front of his shirt isn't cut so low that if he doesn't watch his amount of movement, one of his breasts may pop out.

Not for the first time, I find myself growing jealous of Glorian and his good fortune. Even though he's attractive, he isn't objectified like I am. My stylist, Aren, explained that this was the best way to get sponsors, particularly men, but I don't care. I could get sponsors on my strength alone; I don't need to wear the least fabric possible and play dumb.

My mentor, Judah, told me to act ditzy, but there's no way I'm following his advice. Even wearing this stupid dress, already seen as a weakling among the Careers (for some reason, unbeknownst to me), I'll keep my pride. I refuse to answer all of Cupid's questions with stupidity and nonchalant flirtation. When I'm on the stage, I'll cling to my last shred of dignity (along with the collar of my dress, so I don't actually flash all of Panem) and answer all of the questions the way I would; with confidence and ruthlessness.

We reach the side of the stage, where's there a small corridor with a curtain where we enter the stage. About half of the tributes are already lined up against the wall. Some are chatting with allies or District partners, but most are staring straight ahead, terrified. Glorian and I take our place at the front of the line (Cecelia and Trajan have yet to arrive) and stand still. Neither of us strikes up a conversation with the other. While we respect each other, we have no intention of becoming any closer than allies.

More tributes come in pairs and take their place in line. Cecelia and Trajan arrive not too long after we do, which eases the tension between Glorian and I. It's not a super comfortable group since I don't particularly like Cecelia or Trajan any more than I do Glorian. I suppose I don't get along well with anyone in the alliance… that's not good. If I'm the only one without a closer ally, I'll be the one killed when it comes time to split. Cecelia and Noelani are obviously close. Glorian's the leader, so he's not going anywhere, and he and Lucretius are slowly growing closer. Trajan… he isn't close with anyone either, but everyone hates him so it probably wouldn't be a good idea to associate myself with him.

When Noelani and Lucretius arrive, the tension is lightened considerably. Cecelia and Glorian both head of to talk to them, which just leaves Trajan and I waiting in line. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get him on my side… he did score a 10, after all.

"Hi," I say to him.

"Hey," he replies casually, inspecting the beige tuxedo he's dressed in.

"So, why did you Volunteer?" I ask him, searching for a conversation. His expression suddenly brightens and he looks much more interested in the conversation than he did a moment ago. He turns to face me.

"To separate the wolves from the sheep. Are you a wolf, or are you a sheep?" Trajan asks me.

"I don't really know what you're talking about," I admit. "But I'd say a wolf." Trajan looks glad, and is about to open his mouth to say something else when a hush falls over the line of tributes. I turn to see why they suddenly stopped talking, and notice the girl from District 7 approaching with a handsome boy I've never seen before.

Everyone knows about Sprucen's death. Well, we don't know who caused it, but we know that he was killed on the roof (which is why we've been warned that the roof is now banned and there is security up there). But no one has met the replacement yet. So when he first comes walking toward us, behind Zaira, it's a pretty big deal.

He's really handsome, and I feel butterflies flutter in my stomach. For once, I'm glad I'm wearing this revealing dress. It may be uncomfortable, but it makes me one of the most appealing girls here. He and Zaira take their spots in the line quietly, pretending to not notice everyone watching them.

Trajan turns back to me, looking like he wants to continue his weird conversation about farm animals, but I no longer have a use for him. Trajan is unlikable. I don't like anyone else in my alliance. So what should I do to find an ally that I like? Add one to the alliance.

I ditch Trajan and the rest of the Careers and sashay over to the District 7 male. Who cares about dignity or ruthlessness? It's time to turn on my charm. I make sure the collar of my dress is low enough before plastering a giant smile on my face and walk in front of the District 7 male, so he can't miss me. I hold out my hand for a handshake.

"Hi, I'm Glitter Monique," I giggle.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

Glitter returns from talking to the new tributes just as Cupid Bloke runs out onto the stage. She smiles widely at us. In the background, the crowd cheers relentlessly.

"What did you do?" I inquire as she squeezes into her place between Glorian and me.

"Vincent is now part of our alliance," she says. "You're welcome."

" _You're welcome_?" I repeat in disbelief. "What makes you think I want a new tribute, who none of us know anything about, into our alliance? We don't know what he can do, we don't know if he's dangerous. We don't know if he's going to _backstab all of us_. Why would it be a good idea to put him in the alliance?" Glitter sniffs, slightly offended.

"Well, we need some more allies. The only outer District person we have is _Kade_ ," she reminds me, with obvious distaste. I see her look past me to glare at Cecelia, who doesn't notice. She's too busy preparing herself for her interview.

"Alright, I hate Kade, too, and I wish we'd had a vote -" I look at Cecelia angrily as well, and this time she notices.

"We did have a vote!" she says. "Luc, Noelani, and I voted to add Kade if he got a 7 in training. Which he did. And I already asked Glorian, and he said he would have voted for Kade, as well. That's four against two."

"Whatever," I say, turning back to Glitter. "Just because we need more people doesn't mean you have the ability to add anyone you want without a vote or at least asking our leader."

"Right, because you get Glorian's permission before doing _anything_ ," Glitter says sarcastically.

"I didn't impulsively add anyone to the alliance!"

Glitter opens her mouth to respond, probably with an insult but falls silent when a woman with a headset and clipboard strides over.

"Quiet!" she demands, and everyone falls silent. "Any minute now, Cupid will announce the District 1 female. The moment he says your name, go out onto the stage," she says, looking at Cecelia. "You'll have three minutes to try and win the Capitol over the best you can. After that, you must get off the stage to allow the next tribute to go on. Stay quiet."

Glitter and I don't get to finish our argument about the District 7 male, which I suppose means he's in our alliance. The Bloodbath is tomorrow (wow, that's barely twelve hours) so I won't get any other opportunities to talk to Glitter. I suppose I can confront her after she's done with her interview…

"Panem, please welcome to the stage… Cecelia Hart!" I hear Cupid shout. He's immediately drowned out by the audience's loud screams. I hope Cecelia doesn't get a big head, thinking it's all for her. They're just excited to start the interview. Cecelia walks out onto the stage, after some frantic pushing by the woman in the headset.

Cecelia walks over to Cupid wearing a lavender gown. All of the other tributes watch her on the television mounted on the wall, but I'm right next to the curtain, so I'm able to peek through it. Cecelia smiles and waves, but the minute she sits down on the loveseat, her cheery facade is dropped. She answers Cupid's questions with very few words and comes across as a little bit cold. I expect it to backfire, but somehow, it's effective. The audience is intrigued by her and by the time the buzzer goes off, indicating her time's up, they're all whining and shouting for more.

"Let's say goodbye to Cecelia, because now we get to see Trajan Seth!" Cupid shouts. I straighten my tie and walk out onto the stage, grinning. I don't wave though. I only have three minutes to get my point across, I need to save my time. I sit down across from Cupid and the interview begins. "Hello, Trajan."

"Hello, Cupid."

"I think we should start with the question we've all been dying to know… why did you volunteer?" Cupid holds his microphone in front of my face. My mentor, Nereus, told me to be honest. He said that the audience always 'loves crazy tributes'. I wasn't a big fan of the way he phrased it, but I'm using his advice either way.

"To separate the wolves from the sheep," I say, lounging back on the sofa. "Are you a wolf, or are you a sheep?" Cupid chuckles nervously.

"I'm not sure I understand…"

"There are two types of people in the world. Wolves and sheep. My job is to separate the two and eliminate the sheep. Are you a wolf or a sheep?"

"I'm a human," Cupid says, evoking one or two laughs from the audience. Most people stay quiet, watching this exchange carefully.

"No…" I begin, sittting forward in my sheep. "You look like a sheep to me."

The buzzer buzzes, and Cupid looks relieved.

"I guess that's all the time we have with Trajan -" Cupid begins, but the audience drowns him out with shouts of disappointment. As I leave the stage, I can barely hear Cupid introduce Glitter. I set off the side of the stage, watching the audience.

 _Look at all those sheep._

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Nikola** **Allegra**

* * *

"Introducing, Glitter Monique!" Cupid shouts, and the crowd screams in approval as Glitter walks out onto the stage wearing an incredibly revealing dress. It's clear what angle Glitter's stylist was going for, but like Cecelia, her answers completely contrast with her clothes. She seems very confident, and is winning the audience's favor until Cupid comments on how she looks like she belongs in District 1. Glitter freaks out and begins insulting District 1, which is a little surprising and scary. The buzzer buzzes and she leaves the audience confused.

Glorian goes out next, receiving a lot of applause from the crowd. He acts very determined and slightly mysterious. He's very vague when Cupid asks about his past, and when he comments on his high score, Glorian just smirks to the crowd and doesn't say anything. He talks a bit about how he hopes he can make it home to his family, but doesn't tell us anything about his family. The audience is very intrigued, and are disappointed when he leaves.

Lennox goes on next, wearing a dark red velvet dress speckled in black cheetah print. Her interview is very interesting, to me at least, because we haven't talked a lot. When we were on the train, I asked about her family and she refused to tell me about anything. But suddenly she's completely talking about caring for her deceased best friend's daughter, and how she will do anything to return to her. Toward the end, she seems to realize how much she spilled, but it's too late. She leaves the stage looking mad at herself, but the audience loves her and I'm sure she gained plenty of sponsors.

"Next, please welcome up Nikola Allegra!" Cupid shouts. I gasp, just noticing that I'm at the front of the line. The woman with the headset urges me to go, but I can't move. How am I supposed to follow all of these popular tributes? I have to talk in front of everyone…

"Go!" the woman hisses, and shoves me forward. I stumble slightly, but find my will to move. I begin walking along the stage, keeping my head down so I don't look at the crowd and freeze up. I hear the crowd politely clap, but it's not as deafening as it was with a lot of the other tributes. I take a seat on the loveseat across from Cupid. I stare at my navy blue dress shoes.

"You look a bit nervous. Are you nervous, Nikola?" Cupid asks.

 _Duh_.

Instead of responding, I lift my shoulders in a bit of a shrug. I still stare at my shoes, afraid that if I look up I won't be able to talk at all.

"Is there something interesting on the floor? Because you seem to be staring rather hard at it," Cupid jokes, and the audience bursts into laughter. I feel my face burn, but it convinces me to look Cupid in the eye. His eyes are violet. For a moment, I'm confused, because I heard it was impossible, but then I realize he must be wearing colored contacts. "So, Nikola, is there anything you enjoy doing at home?"

"Um, well… I like to build things," I mutter with the mic shoved in front of my mouth. My voice booms through the room, sounding pathetic even to me.

"What kinds of things?" Cupid asks, sounding sympathetic. He's no longer making fun of my nervousness.

"Machines. Robots. That kind of thing. I like inventing stuff," I say.

"So, kind of like Necessity from last year?" Cupid asks.

"I guess," I shrug. But I don't like comparing myself to Necessity; she was much more likable and strategic and things didn't work out well for her, anyways.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters back home?" Cupid asks.

"Yeah. I have a brother - Thomas. A lot of people like him. He's really popular," I say.

"How do you feel about going into the Hunger Games, tomorrow?" Cupid asks me. "Do you have a plan?"

 _No. I have no idea what to do._

"Yes," I lie. "I have a plan that will help me survive."

The buzzer buzzes, ending my interview. I let out an audible sigh of relief and the audience chuckles. I blush and scamper off the stage. I rush to the other end of the stage, where all of the tributes who have already been interviewed are waiting. I head over to Lennox, who is watching the other tributes being interviewed on the screen.

"Are we allowed to head back to the Tribute Center yet?" I ask hopefully. She shakes her head.

"Not until everyone is done interviewing."

I sigh and lean against the wall. I take off my navy blue suit jacket and bowtie so I can get a bit more comfortable. I might as well watch the rest of the interviews - something important might come up.

Noelani walks on next, wearing a floor-length turquoise dress that's probably a nod to her mermaid costume from the chariot rides. She acts very flirtatious with Cupid, and their banter barely allows them to touch upon her home life. She's pretty brief about her life in District 4, only mentioning how she loves her family, has trained for the Hunger Games for a long time, and after some pressing from Cupid, she reveals how she lost her arm - she got it caught in a cannery when she was a child. It's very anticlimactic, and a lot of the audience is disappointed. She's forced to leave them that way, despite making a good impression before then.

Lucretius Marlo walks out next, wearing a turquoise suit that resembles fish scales and reflects the colored lights glaring down on him. He is very funny and optimistic, and he and Cupid have some very effective banter that gets the audience in stitches, even though all of us backstage don't think it's that funny. It works for the audience, though, who have a very strange sense of humor. There's barely any time to discuss his home life, but he quickly squeezes in something about his brother toward the end. Then, he leaves the stage with the audience cheering for him.

"Now we have not one _but two_ tributes who I think we've all been very curious about… Macey _and_ Tracey Aderyn!"

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Tracey Aderyn**

* * *

I hear Macey and my names boom through the theater, and I know it's time for us to walk out. I take a deep breath, but Macey takes a step forward and I know it's time for me to walk, as well.

We each take a step forward one by one, making the short walk to the center of the stage an agonizingly slow crawl. The lights shining on me so bright, I can barely see the crowd. They were clapping when we first entered the stage but by now, they're just watching in silence as we struggle to make to the chair.

We finally reach Cupid and fall back on the loveseat. I smooth out my black dress (Macey's half is white, to show the contrast between us) and sit up, trying to look presentable. Macey seems to care less because her skirt is still all rumpled.

"I think we're all curious to know - how did you get two heads?" Cupid asks. This question bugs me, but Macey more so. I can always tell when she gets angry because our blood pumps faster.

"We didn't 'get two heads'," Macey says through gritted teeth. I know she's about to explode, so I decide to cut in.

"Well, uh… I d-don't see us as having t-two heads. We just have one, uh, body," I say. It definitely doesn't sound very eloquent, especially with all of my stuttering, but it's better than having Macey yell at the interviewer and the Capitol for the next three minutes; although, I suppose we don't have much time left, since the clock begins when he announces us. Our walk to the stage must have left us with only two or so minutes.

"Alright - then how did you get one body?" Cupid asks.

"We were born like this," Macey says.

"Yeah? I didn't know someone could be born with two heads," Cupid says. He immediately notices Macey's glare. "One body! Sorry. So, you guys are obviously at a disadvantage. You're stuck together, only scored a three in training, and we all saw how long it took you guys to get across the stage." The audience chuckles at our expense. "You definitely don't have very high odds. Currently, the betting is 1-150 for you guys. I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could, it definitely wouldn't be on you. I would probably be on… never mind. But what do you guys think sponsors should know before you go into the arena?"

"We're smart. We learn really fast and have a good memory. We're good at camouflage, so we can hide from the other tributes and live off the land. Tributes win by hiding all the time. People who score threes win sometimes. So you shouldn't count us out just yet," Macey says confidently. There's a light smatter of applause.

"Y-yeah, and two heads are better than one, right?" I ask just as the buzzer buzzes.

"Well, that's all the time we have," Cupid says. Macey and I begin our slow pace back to the side of the stage as Cupid introduces Dennis. Luckily, we manage to get behind the curtain and off the stage right before Dennis comes walking out, dressed in a pure-black tuxedo.

Macey and I hobble over to a bench, where we sit down next to the girl from District 3 to watch the rest of the interviews.

Dennis's interview goes okay. He stays silent almost the entire time, only answering questions with a 'yes' or a 'no'. When he gets any questions with an answer that isn't one word, he doesn't say anything. It's sort of off-putting, but a lot of the Capitol loves that sort of thing, so at least half of the audience was cheering for him as he left the stage.

Tristana comes on next, wearing a poofy black dress. She sits next to Cupid and they begin talking. She's very open and optimistic, talking a lot about her family, especially her younger siblings. She comes across as very bubbly, which the Capitol definitely likes, but she doesn't make much of an impression. Cupid and she discuss her impressive score of seven, and she pins it on hard work and determination. When she leaves, she gets a considerable round of applause, but I doubt anyone's going to remember her interview.

The moment Axel steps onto the stage sporting a lilac tuxedo, the crowd bursts into applause. Axel looks a little startled but walks over to Cupid with his head high. Axel is so adored by the Capitol, his interview could literally be a disaster and he would still have sponsors. His interview isn't a disaster, but he makes some bad choices. Instead of playing up his cuteness, he tries to win the Capitol over with his wits. It is sort of effective, but it would have been better if he had gone for the 'adorable' angle.

Zaira is introduced and she walks out wearing a brown and green dress (probably supposed to resemble a tree) with a really crooked, messed up hem. She acts really happy and excited when she's talking to Cupid, but it's clear she's terrified. She stammers a lot and while she smiles, there's a look of terror in her eyes. She doesn't mention a lot about her life in District 7, but gains some sympathy by talking about her dad's death. When she leaves, the audience claps politely but she doesn't gain much attention; everyone's too excited to see her District partner.

Everyone freaks out when Vincent Elm walks onto the stage in a green suit. I've already seen him, but this is the first time I found out anything about him. The Capitol is very excited to see such a promising tribute and I can hear a lot of ladies commenting on his attractiveness. He talks a little bit about his life, but Cupid is mostly pressing him to talk about his skills. We hear a lot about his lumberjacking experience, and he only touches a bit on his parents. The audience is outraged when the buzzer sounds, but he's forced to leave the stage, anyway.

Wearing a fluffy, cute mint dress, Linen steps out onto the stage. She acts very determined, refusing to admit there's a chance she may die. I'm sure she knows it but just wants to come across as confident. She does something that would have been stupid, bad-mouthing the Careers, but luckily, none of them are paying attention. She talks about her family and job, and her interview would have gone well if everyone hadn't been busy speculating about Vincent.

Felix enters wearing a maroon tuxedo. His interview mostly consists of him as acting like a funny underdog, talking a little bit about his friends but not about his family. He comments on his low score after some insisting from Cupid, and implies that he got a low score on purpose. I find that unlikely, since I saw him attempt stuff during training, but the audience seems intrigued. Just when the buzzer is about to buzz, he reveals that he's gay. He's forced to leave the stage almost immediately after, but he definitely made an impression. A lot of the crowd looks interested and are cheering him on, but a few look disgusted or livid.

Unlike Axel, Savanna goes for the innocent child angle. She's wearing a simple olive dress, but her blonde hair and makeup are styled to make her look much younger and much more innocent than she has before. Her blue eyes are way wider and she looks three years younger. She answers a lot of questions with short answers, but gains some sympathy by talking about how she's been bullied. At the end, a few people adore her, but most are indifferent. I suppose that's the best she could hope for, though.

Hadley walks out wearing an olive suit that matches his District partner's. It's clear their stylists coordinated when designing their interview outfits. Similar to Savanna, he uses his sad backstory for sympathy, but his is a little more successful since the audience actually has high hopes for him. He talks _a lot_ about his younger brothers, and implies that bad things might happen to them if he doesn't survive. He's pretty likable, so he has definitely won the Capitol over by the time is interview ends.

Arabella also goes for the 'cute' angle, but she is very talkative and energetic which makes it a great deal more successful than most of the other children's. Arabella wears a long, sparkly amber dress than nearly makes her trip when she rushes over to the stage. She laughs along with the audience, and manages to get them laughing with her, at her expense for most of the interview. She talks Cupid's ear off about her family, and Cupid consistently makes jokes about her overwhelming presence, but she laughs with everyone else. The audience loves her and applauds loudly as she leaves the stage. I don't know if they actually liked her or find her as comic relief, but it's definitely not the worse strategy.

Buck, wearing a copper suit, earns a lot of cheering when he walks on. He acts indifferent for the whole interview and answers a lot of Cupid's questions with short, honest answers. He talks about his sick mother a lot, which gains some sympathy from the audience. Even though he acts bored, the audience adores him. I don't know why they have such high expectations for Buck, but it seems, like Axel, he's so adored that at this point, he can't do anything wrong.

Yael walks on stage wearing a floaty white dress, waving and smiling to the audience. She takes a seat next to Cupid and spends the whole interview gushing about the Capitol and how nice all of the stuff is. She acts very happy and optimistic, almost disregarding the upcoming Hunger Games. She squeezes in a little bit about her home life, talking about how her parents are good people, but then switches right back to the Capitol's food. When she leaves, she gets a considerable amount of applause from flattered Capitol citizens (they always love when tributes compliment their city), but I doubt she has convinced many people to sponsor her.

Kade is very cocky and confident when he walks onto the stage dressed in a sharp black suit with a single rose tucked in the lapel. After taking a seat, he runs his fingers through his slicked-back brown hair, very at ease. He is very charming the entire interview, repeatedly referring to how attractive the Capitol ladies are. Behind me, I hear a lot of the other tributes gagging. Macey stifles a laugh beside me. Despite the reaction from his fellow tributes, he gets a loud roar of approval when his time ends. He throws his rose into the crowd, and I see a whole group of women dive for it.

Rachel's interview is probably the most forgettable of all the tributes. Wearing a navy blue gown, she waves and smiles as she sits down, but after that, she practically puts the Capitol to sleep with the most basic answers to Cupid's question. When he asks her about her family, she mentions and older brother and loving parents - a very normal family. When he asks about her skills, she says climbing and running. When her interview ends, all she gets is polite clapping from half of the audience.

When Quinten enters, everyone is relieved we're down to the last interview. Quinten is dressed in a green suit and receives a lot of applause when he walks out onto the stage; however, I think a lot of it is the audience just excited that we're down to the last interview. Quinten is a bit more interesting than Rachel, since he talks about how much he loves animals and how he lives in the woods (a stupid choice, since it's illegal) but the audience doesn't pay much attention.

"What did you think of this year's tributes?' Cupid asks, and the audience cheers loudly. "We definitely have a lot of promising tributes and I think this year will best the best yet!"

The audience roars in agreement.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

After Sprucen died, we were told that the roof was banned and there would be security keeping us off of the roof. Which meant that after the interviews, we were supposed to be confined to our bedrooms.

I tried to go to sleep immediately. I thought I was tired, and knew it would be a good idea to get a lot of sleep before the Bloodbath tomorrow. My mentor, Clio, warned me that she'd have to wake me up very early before we were transported over to the arena, so I thought it would be best if I went to sleep early. Unfortunately, it was really unsettling trying to sleep with Axel crying on the other end of the wall.

I gave up trying to rest and snuck out of my room. I ignored the warnings that the roof was banned and rode up there, anyway. I've never been one to follow rules. I was prepared to see a bunch of Peacekeepers guarding the roof when I reached the top, but when the doors slid open the only thing blocking me from the roof was a tall chain-link fence with a padlock around the gate. I took another trip downstairs, stole a handful of bobby pins from Camilla's room, and easily unlocked the padlock.

I stare down at the busy street below. The entire time I've been in the Capitol, the street below has been lively and eventful each night in anticipation of the upcoming Hunger Games. Tonight, it's at an all-time high. Plenty of Capitol citizens (I'm assuming most are drunk or high) run through the streets, waving plastic swords or shooting rubber bows at each other. Each nightclub I can see (there are many) is alive, people repeatedly streaming in and out of the doors.

It's unnerving to think that they're this excited about the prospect of my death. Maybe not mine specifically, but the death of several kids who have never done anything to them. It's honestly sickening.

I hear the elevator ding, and I spin around in panic. The doors slide open and someone walks out, but it's not a Peacekeeper or anyone who would care that I'm up here.

"Oh, hi," I say.

"Hey." It's the boy from District 7 - Victor, or something like that. "Why is there a fence here?" he asks, gesturing to the giant chainlink fence blocking off most of the roof.

"To keep people out," I respond.

"It's not doing a very good job," he chuckles. "Why do they want to keep kids off the roof? Are they afraid they'll jump or something and they'll have to… replace them?"

"No, there's a forcefield that will reflect any kid who tries to jump off. They banned the roof after someone murdered Sprucen up here."

"Sprucen was murdered up here?" he asks. I turn toward him. His blue eyes reflect pure shock.

"Yeah… did you not know that?" I ask. "I thought that was common knowledge."

"No, we were just told that he died. They didn't mention how," Victor shrugs. "So, if it's supposed to be banned?"

"Yeah."

"How did you manage to get up here, then?" Victor asks.

"They only had a simple padlock on the gate. It wasn't too difficult to pick it," I state humbly.

"I'm Vincent, by the way," he says, walking over to stand next to me.

"I'm Tristana."

Vincent leans over the edge of the building and looks down at the street below. The festivities are still in full swing, and I suspect they won't stop until the morning when everyone will return to their homes to watch the Bloodbath.

"So there's a forcefield down there?" Vincent asks, sounding impressed. I nod. "Wow, it's literally invisible. How far down is it?"

"I don't know. We were just told after the Chariot Rides that there was a forcefield, so we shouldn't bother jumping off," I say.

"How do you know they were telling the truth?" Vincent asks.

"One way to find out."

I snatch an apple off of the tree in the center of the garden and chuck it down to the street below. At worst, it will hit some drunk Capitolian in the head. Did I say the worst? I meant the best. Vincent and I gaze over the side, and at first, it looks like there's no forcefield after all, but then the apple hits something and is rebounded back toward us. When it makes contact, the air around it ripples. The apple flies past us.

"I guess there is a forcefield," I say. Vincent nods and we stand in silence for a moment. "Are you nervous for the Bloodbath tomorrow?" I finally ask. Vincent shrugs.

"I don't know. I haven't really processed it yet; I mean, I only found out I was going into the Hunger Games _this morning_. I suspect that when I first enter the arena, less than twenty-four hours will have past from when I was Reaped. Or even knew it was possible for me to be Reaped. I'm eighteen. After Willes volunteered, I assumed I'd be safe and could live the rest of my life in peace - or, as peaceful as it can be in District 7.

"Everything has happened so fast, I haven't had the chance to be scared. First I was cutting down trees, then I found out Willes died, then I got Reaped. Then I had to ride on a hovercraft while this super creepy trio tore off all of my body hair and prepped me and then I was doing the interview…. I feel like at any second, I'll realize what a mess I'm in and just have an absolute mental breakdown." Vincent pauses and looks at me. "Are you afraid?"

"Terrified," I admit. "I might be dead by tomorrow night. If not, I'll probably die pretty soon afterward."

"I know I won't be sleeping tomorrow night. If I'm alive," Vincent says. "How am I supposed to fall asleep surrounded by Careers?"

"You're in the Career pack?" I ask, surprised.

"Yeah," he admits, sounding ashamed. "The girl from District 2 cornered me before the interviews and nearly demanded I join her alliance. She was also being super flirtatious, which was a little awkward. But it's not like I could have denied her - it's not a good idea to reject the Careers, even if you're in danger by being in their alliance."

"Good idea. The boy from District 10, Buck, rejected their invitation and they still haven't let it go. They literally glare at him all of the time. I feel bad for him. You definitely made the right choice - they'd hunt you down during the Bloodbath and slit your throat," I say.

"I'm glad," he says, then realizes what it sounded like. "I mean, I'm not glad about any of this - I'm just relieved I made the right decision." We stare in silence at the partying below, some more. If possible, the crowd is even rowdier than it was when Vincent first came up here.

"We should probably get some sleep," I finally say. "I doubt we're going to get any in the arena."

"I don't think I'll get a lot tonight, either. But you're right. I'm just -" Vincent takes a deep breath. "Kind of scared to sleep in my room. It was literally inhabited by Willes only a few days ago. I'd be sleeping in a dead man's bed."

"Not just Sprucen. Over two hundred years' worth of dead men," I remind him. A chill sweeps over me. "Gosh, I've been sleeping in a bed that Mika was sleeping in only a year ago. Ugh, I don't want to go into my room anymore. It's so creepy."

"Yeah, I'll definitely be sleeping on the couch," Vincent says. We turn to walk back to the elevator.

I'm creeped out by the thought that so many dead girls have slept on my bed. But will I be a dead girl to the next District 6 female? Will I be one of the girls that haunt her room?

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

I miss Ada. I miss her wide smile and those big brown eyes that looked exactly like Devin's before she died and she and her brown eyes were stuck in a box under the earth.

Whenever I close my eyes, I see Ada. I can imagine her crying because her "Mommy" died in the Hunger Games. I hope Eddie doesn't let her watch any of the Hunger Games. I don't think he would, but what if Ada accidentally saw a clip of the Hunger Games? What if she saw me being killed? Would she even understand that her mother wouldn't be returning to her?

Eddie's caring for Ada. He told me when we were saying goodbye. He promised he'd take care of her, but he also made me promise that I'd return home. I don't like to lie, but I finally conceded just to give him some false hope.

I don't have false hope. I know the chance of me returning home is slim. But I also know that I won't give up easily - I will try to survive, even if all four of my limbs have been chopped off (as the boy from District 5 kindly warned me he would do). I will do anything to get home to my daughter.

I can't sleep. I've laid in bed for several hours now, and I still haven't been able to get one minute of sleep. The room is nearly pitch black and I'm tired, but I can't seem to drift off. The thought of tomorrow terrifies me. I'll have to go into the arena.

I wish we learned what the arena was beforehand, so I can plan. But I have no clue what it will be - and the Gamemakers have so many different ideas for arenas, that there's no telling what it might be. In the first century of the Hunger Games, all of the arenas were fairly simple - outdoor arenas (mostly forests) with no special twists (with the exception of Quarter Quells). It may have well been the forests outside of District 3. Even the muttations were simple - tracker jackers, beasts, jabberjays.

But after the 4th Quarter Quell, the arenas started getting more exciting. They had more complex mutts and robots, eventually, realistic human-like robots were added to the arenas. The arenas were also way more unique - some had backstories, some were indoors. At this point, if you got a forest arena, you knew there was something else to it.

And the Gamemakers are so desperate for fights and drama between the tributes, most of the mutts are no longer programmed to kill. Instead, they are usually programmed to drive together two tributes. As for the elements… people rarely die due to exposure or starvation. The Gamemakers make sure of that. It doesn't interest the viewers in the Capitol. So if someone is dying of starvation, it's likely they'll send a small gift of food to them.

That doesn't mean I'm not going to worry about starvation or the elements. Starvation would make me weak, and basically a sitting duck for any competitor who walks by. And if the tribute isn't interesting, the Gamemakers usually don't step in to save them.

My ideal arena would be large, with lots of hiding places. I'd rather avoid the rest of the tributes, and a large arena would help me do that. From what I've seen, the larger the arena, the more likely an outer District tribute will win. And I'd like the best odds I can have.

Because I _will_ make it home to my daughter. And it won't be in a coffin.

* * *

 **We're getting so close to the Bloodbath and I'm so excited! As a side note, I really don't like writing the interviews because I feel as though it gets really competitive.**

 **I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but the next two chapters will both be pretty short; the next will be the launch, with four POVs from the only tributes we haven't seen twice (excluding Macey and Tracey, who only get one chapter per each. I feel kind of bad, but they do the same thing). After that, we'll check back in with Gemma, whose chapter will be super short since I'm expecting I'll just want to get it out of the way before the Bloodbath, and then the Bloodbath!**

 **Don't forget to review! It doesn't ultimately save your tribute, but it does help.**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Kade/Vincent  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Macey/Tracey (obviously)  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Linen/Savanna/Hadley  
Zaira/Felix/Quentin**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Nikola  
Dennis  
Buck**

* * *

 **Bloodbath Countdown: 2 Chapters!**

 **\- Lilah**


	32. The Launch

**District 8**

 **Linen Baird**

* * *

I hear the door open, undoubtedly my mentor, Velvet, arriving to take me away to the arena. I bury my head in my pillow, pretending to sleep, even though I know that there's nothing I can do to resist being taken into the arena. I hear her walk over to me then feel her hand gently shaking me awake. I give up feigning sleep and turn to face her.

"It's time to head to the arena," she says softly. Her face reflects so much pity, it just makes me feel worse.

"Fine," I sigh, getting out of the comfortable bed. I wish I could stay there for the next few weeks. Velvet quickly removes some randomly assorted clothes from my dresser and passes them to me. "This is my arena outfit?" I ask, skeptically. Velvet shakes her head.

"You won't get changed into it until we're underneath the arena. For now, you should just wear that," she explains. I look down at her selected clothes; simply a dark t-shirt and sweatpants. She turns away while I reluctantly remove my nightgown and pull on each article of clothing. I don't want to get changed into them - as soon as I put them on, I agree to heading over to the arena, which is something I desperately don't want to do.

But I know I won't have a choice; if I refuse to get inside the hovercraft, the Peacekeepers will knock me out and drag me in there. And then I won't be able to keep a steady mind when I enter the arena. So it's best to comply with all rules, and be obedient, which I don't usually do.

"Are you ready to head up to the roof? The hovercraft will pick us up there," Velvet says.

"I guess," I shrug. We begin to exit my room when I stop. "Wait, my token!" I exclaim. I don't want to lose the piece of silk Magenta gave me when we were saying goodbye - it's my only piece of home.

"It's already with your arena outfit. Stylists are supposed to bring it for the tributes. It's been a rule for a few years, after tributes repeatedly kept forgetting to take their token with them," Velvet explains.

We head up to the rooftop, while Velvet gives me more information. We didn't talk much before now, since I was either training with my allies or too scared to have a conversation, so it seems as though Velvet is cramming in every bit of information she knows before I go into the arena. I have a hard time paying attention, since my thoughts keep wandering to other questions (like, does death hurt?) but I try my best to soak up all of the useful information.

We reach the roof, and the hovercraft is already waiting to carry us up. I feel my stomach clench as I stare up at the giant white machine hovering many feet above us. As I'm wondering how we'll get up, a ladder is released and drops down only a few feet away from me. I look hesitantly at Velvet, who nods.

"You go first," she tells me. I hesitantly grab onto the first rung, terrified of climbing up so high, but before I can climb, what feels like electricity runs over my body, and I freeze. Paralyzed, the ladder begins to retract, pulling me toward the open door of the hovercraft. I reach the top and unfreeze. I climb the last two rungs with the help of two Peacekeeper who roughly yank me up.

The ladder drops again for Velvet, and I get the chance to look around. The room doesn't look very comfy, and it definitely isn't large. It hold enough space for two rows of chairs (enough for eight people) that face each other. There's a table in the center, and a window on either side of the door. That's it.

There's a door where I'm assuming everything else is, but based on the Peacekeepers' reactions when I go over to see what's passed it, I figure that I'm stuck in this room.

Velvet reaches the top, and the Peacekeepers aren't polite with her, either. They yank her up and she stumbles as they pull her into the room. The hovercraft door slides closed and both of the Peacekeepers stand guard by the door they were so panicked I'd go through. Velvet sighs, brushes herself off, and takes a seat on one of the chairs. I take the chair next to her, which happens to be the window seat.

I watch as the hovercraft zooms up and begins flying over all of the Capitol buildings. We're too high for me to see people on the streets, but I'm sure they can see us.

As we head toward the arena, I rest my head in the heel of my hand and begin imagining the arena, as I have repeatedly the past few days. This time, it feels real. Now that I'm actually heading there, everything seems much more real and less like a bad dream. I'm so lost in thought, I barely notice when an avox approaches with two trays and a giant needle. I immediately cringe; I dislike needles, I've gotten accidentally pricked by them many times in District 8.

The avox sets each tray down on the table, one in front of each of us, then gestures for me to hold out my hand. Terrified, I keep it by my side. Velvet notices and leans over to whisper in my ear.

"They'll insert the needle into your arm either way. It's best to be compliant - it will hurt less."

Reluctantly, I sigh and hold out my arm. I squeeze my eyes shut and wince in anticipation. It definitely hurts, but not as much as I thought it would. My forearm feels kind of numb, so I assume the avox did something to numb it before inserting the tracker into my arm. When I feel her draw back, I open my eyes.

There's a shining blue bump under my skin that hurt when I press it. Velvet must know what I'm thinking.

"The pain will go away soon," she promises. "It still might be a little sensitive, but you'll barely notice it's there. Now, eat up. It's unlikely you'll get a full meal for two weeks or so."

 _If I survive,_ I add, but don't say it aloud. I look down at the tray; it's piled with different Capitol breakfast items, but for some reason, it no longer looks appealing. I don't see how anyone could eat before entering the arena. However, I know it's best to eat a lot now, so I begin shoving food into my queasy stomach.

Right before I finish eating, a dark screen automatically slides across the window, blocking my view of everything outside.

"What?" I automatically ask, looking to see if I pressed a button by accident.

"The Gamemakers always automatically cover the window when the tributes approach the arena, so they can't get an early glimpse. We must be close," Velvet tells me. She sounds nervous, and I'm one-hundred percent terrified. In only a few minutes, I'll be inside the arena.

My body tenses up when the hovercraft suddenly stops. The door slide back open, but I can't see the outdoors. All I can see is a small, dark tunnel leading directly downwards. The Peacekeepers come back over and demand I grab onto the ladder. I don't want to, but Velvet pushes me toward it. I bite my lip and grab onto it. Once again, I freeze up.

The ladder begins lowering, and I'm helpless as I watch the hovercraft get farther and farther away. I'm heading down, below the arena. I'm heading into the Hunger Games.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

My feet hit the ground, and I'm no longer stuck to the ladder. I let go and step away, and watch as the ladder retracts to bring my mentor, Liber, down here.

The room is very small and simple; the only objects are a full-length mirror, a bench, which holds a pitcher of water and a stack of clothes, and in the corner, a tube. That tube is what will take me up into the arena; up into the nightmare. Liber is frozen to the ladder as it descends. When he finally reaches the ground, he regains his movement and walks over to me.

"How are you feeling, Axel?" Liber asks sympathetically. I shrug, but it's obvious that I'm terrified. Liber pats me on the back reassuringly. "You scored a nine. Just avoid danger as much as possible and you'll be okay." I shrug again, and Liber wraps me in a hug. When we part, we walk over to look at the outfit.

Liber holds it up, and his eyebrows immediately knit in confusion.

"What's with the hat?" he wonders aloud. I pick up the hat, which is a thin brown fedora.

"I don't know," Liber says, inspecting it. "It doesn't look like it provides any warmth. The best I can figure is that the Gamemakers are doing it for fashion, rather than actual use. So your clothes are more of a costume than an outfit."

I groan, trying the fedora on. I look in the full-length mirror. It does not look good on me. Why couldn't the Gamemakers have just given us the same outfits as last year, which were completely for practical use? I'd prefer that to the costume they're making us wear. On rare occasions, the Gamemakers give tributes outfits to fit the arena. For example, during the 100th Hunger Games, where the arena was Ancient Roman rubble, the tributes were dressed in really inconvenient togas and sandals.

 _At least my shoes are boots_ , I think, looking at the knee-high faded violet leather boots. I sigh one more time as I set the table on the bench and begin stripping off my clothes. Liber turns away to give me a bit of privacy, but I don't really care. I'm going to be filmed and broadcasted to the entire nation 24/7 - I can't really care about getting undressed in front of my mentor.

I pull on the beige button-up shirt and khaki cargo pants. The socks are thankfully thick and comfortable, as are the boots. I slide into the jacket, which matches the boots - like the boots, it is faded violet leather.

Lastly, the hat. I pull it onto my head and look in the mirror. I look stupid. It would be funny in any other situation, but going into a life-or-death situation, I have bigger problems than a dumb hat.

"How quickly can I ditch this?" I ask Liber, pointing to the hat.

"As soon as you're in the arena. But don't drop it before the countdown ends - if it hits the ground, it will blow you up. And don't worry about taking your hat off in the Bloodbath, although if it falls it shouldn't be a problem. Don't worry about removing your hat until you get out of danger. Well, out of immediate danger," Liber adds.

"Five more minutes," a voice over the intercom says. Suddenly realizing how close I am to entering the arena, my heart begins to rapidly speed up. I take a seat on the bench while Liber pours me a glass of water.

I take small sips of the water, my mind running with worse-case scenarios. When the glass is half-full I set it down. My hands slip into the pockets of my jacket, and my right hand hits something hard and cold. I pull it out. It's my father's medallion. My token is in my jacket pocket, just like Liber said it would be. I squeeze it, and it instills some hope into my heart. I'm still terrified, but feel a little braver now that I have a piece of my family with me.

"Tributes, enter the tubes," the voice says. My head jerks up in surprise. How have five minutes already passed? Liber sighs and wraps me in another hug.

"Good luck," Liber whispers to me. I try to thank him, but all that comes out is a strangled cry. I can't seem to form words right now.

I slip my medallion back into my pocket and turn to look at the tube. It looks very menacing, for some reason.

"Tributes, enter the tubes," the voice repeats. I obey and step into the glass tube. The door immediately slides shut, trapping me inside. This freaks me out, because not only can I not escape, but this is a tight space and I'm pretty claustrophobic. My breathing speeds up, and it doesn't help that the floor begins to rise, bringing me closer to the blocked top.

As the tube slowly rises, I feel tears begin to run down my face. This is where the nightmare truly begins...

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

The tube rises up, threatening to crush me against the blocked ceiling. However, right before my head is about to hit the top, it slides open, allowing me to pass through. After the darkness of the underground room, the light blinds me momentarily, but it quickly fades. The sun isn't shining very brightly, so it isn't difficult to adjust.

The ground continues to rise, until it stops suddenly. The jolt causes my legs to shake, but I have good balance so I easily remain standing. However, I see some of the tributes next to me (specifically the girl from District 9, who is to my left) shake more violently and come close to falling.

When everyone has regained their balance, we hear Leandros Winthrop's voice booming throughout the arena, coming from an invisible source.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 248th Hunger Games begin!"

With that, Leandros begins counting down and I have only a minute left until I finally get to kill a _human_. I've killed animals, but I've never seen a human life fade before my eyes. Needless to say, I'm thrilled.

I begin looking around at the arena. Not much of it is visible from the clearing we're in, which means I have no idea how large it is. The Cornucopia and all of our pedestals are placed in a small, round clearing with only dewy blades of grass covering the ground. Surrounding us is an incredibly dense forest, although it'd probably be better described as a jungle.

The air is very humid and hot, to the point where I already feel my skin becoming sweaty. The sun is barely visible, though, so I don't think I need to worry about getting a sunburn yet. The only rays from the sun come peeking through a few cracks in the forest's trees, shining enough to illuminate the Cornucopia and the rest of us. I suspect by noon it will be much more of an issue.

The only things I can see over the tops of these trees are the tops of more trees in all directions, suggesting the trees either get higher or go up a hill. The number of trees is kind of unsettling - it might make it harder to hunt down tributes, which I definitely want to do. Hopefully, the arena isn't very large.

To my left is the girl from District 9, who looks terrified. I watch her eyes dart around, probably searching for her alliance members. She would be fun to kill, but I have other people on top of my kill-list. I hope she survives the Bloodbath, even if it's only so I can track her down afterward and have her die at my hand (not after torturing her, of course).

To my right is the girl from District 2, Glitter, who would also be fun to kill. However, killing her might take up too much time during the Bloodbath. By the time I defeat and torture and murder her, the rest of the tributes might be gone. I'm hoping to get at least three kills during the Bloodbath, but I guess I could settle for two. The Bloodbath isn't ideal for killing tributes, since it doesn't give me enough time to torture them.

But it will do.

The Bloodbath will be some fun, but the _real_ fun comes later.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

" _60… 59… 58…"_

On my left is the girl from District 8. She looks very nervous, and her eyes are darting around the clearing, trying to soak in every detail.

" _55… 54… 53…"_

On my right is the girl from District 3. She doesn't look nervous; she looks determined. She is turned away from the Cornucopia, and is instead facing the dense forest. She must be running away from the Bloodbath.

" _50… 49… 48…"_

I'm facing the opening on the Cornucopia. I need to run inside, since I'm with the Careers. Even if I wasn't, I'd need to get supplies and a weapon.

" _45… 44… 43…"_

There is not a lot of stuff in the Cornucopia. There are actually very few supplies inside, so I know people will go mad trying to get it.

" _40… 39… 38…"_

If people go mad trying to get the survival items, I know they will go insane attempting to get one of the three weapons placed directly outside of the Cornucopia's rim. There is a small wicker table, so everyone can see the weapons. Perched on the wicker table are three guns.

" _35… 34… 33…"_

Guns are extremely rare in the Hunger Games, to the point where they show up less often than Quarter Quells. They're very powerful compared to the other weapons, so whoever manages to snag one automatically gets a great deal of power. I would love to have a gun, but everyone will try to get it. It's probably safer to get another weapon.

" _30… 29… 28…"_

I look at the girl on my left again, but she's no longer terrified. She now looks very determined, and is standing in the stating position for running.

" _25… 24… 23…"_

There aren't any axes in the Cornucopia. It takes me a moment to realize this, but when I do I automatically feel dismayed. I suppose I could just use a sword, but it looks like there aren't many of those, either. In fact, only four swords are currently visible.

" _20… 19… 18…"_

I make the mistake of looking at Glitter. She smiles and winks at me before going back to staring at the center of the Cornucopia. Of course, she's going to try to grab a gun.

" _15… 14… 13…"_

Less than fifteen seconds left. I gulp. The Hunger Games will start any minute, and I definitely don't feel prepared. It should be about 10 AM right now. I was Reaped at 10 AM yesterday. I've only known this was going to happen to me for 24 hours.

" _10… 9… 8…"_

I face the Cornucopia again and lean forward so I can jump at the moment the gong rings. I want to be one of the first people to the Cornucopia.

" _5… 4… 3…"_

The sun glints off the golden Cornucopia, making it shine brightly.

" _2… 1… BOOM!"_

The 248th Hunger Games has begun.

* * *

 **Gosh, I'm so excited! Honestly, Gemma's chapter will probably only be like 100 words long.**

 **If you haven't read Flames, you might be confused to why the mentors go with the tributes instead of the stylists. I think it makes more sense for mentors to go, so they can give last-minute advice. Stylists can only give suggestions to what the arena might hold based on the outfit, but it doesn't really matter since the tributes will find out in a few minutes anyway. Plus, I already have personalities and backstories for most mentors (even if they don't show up a lot) and I don't want to create a whole new stylist.**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Kade?  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Macey/Tracey (obviously)  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Linen/Savanna/Hadley  
Zaira/Felix/Quentin**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Nikola  
Dennis  
Ruce  
Buck**

* * *

 **Bloodbath Countdown: 1 Chapter!**

 **\- Lilah**


	33. Gemma Calvert II

**District 12**

 **Gemma Calvert**

* * *

I watch the countdown on the small television on the wall of the hovercraft. I'm on my way back to the mentoring building from the arena, but I won't reach there until after the Bloodbath has finished, and Quinten may have been killed. I may not even have to step foot in the building.

But that's if Quinten dies, and I want to stay positive.

The Peacekeepers' eyes are also glued to the screen. Their helmets are removed so they can watch it better, and both of them look very eager.

"What twists do you think the arena will have?" the guy asks.

"I don't know. But knowing Leda Dashlon, it will be epic," the girl replies.

"Remember last year with the in-" the guy starts, but the girl shushes him. Winthrop is down to fifteen seconds.

I watch nervously as all of the tributes get ready. The angle switches between each tribute constantly, so I only get the occasional glimpse of Quinten. He looks very nervous, but is facing the opposite direction. Just like we discussed, he's planning to run into the jungle. Hopefully he makes it out.

Usually, tributes who run away from the Bloodbath have better odds, but they can be chased by faster tributes. He's next to the boy from District 1, who is watching him with a small smile on his face. Quinten and I never discussed his speed - I have no idea how fast he is. Hopefully he's fast.

Winthrop counts down until he reaches 1, and the gong sounds. With that, all of the tributes leap off of their platforms and the Games have begun.

* * *

 **Just as I warned, this chapter is super short. I just really want to start working on the Bloodbath and didn't have anything interesting for Gemma's POV anyway.**

 **Bloodbath Countdown: 0 Chapters!**

 **\- Lilah**


	34. Day 1: Part 1: The Bloodbath

**Here we are: we've entered the Hunger Games!**

 **Sorry for the late update; I started school again so my updates will become less frequent. I'm aiming for one chapter per week, but you should know by this point that I'm terrible when it comes to deadlines :D**

 **Sorry if I kill your tribute this chapter - I really debated some of the deaths, but I think all of them are for the best. I'll explain the reasons next chapter, because I'm not doing eulogies until the chapter** _ **after**_ **, so you won't be able to just skip to the bottom to see who died. If you want to know, you'll have to read the whole chapter.**

 **I feel really bad about killing some of the tributes because most submitters only ended up having one of their tributes in the Games so some no longer have any tributes. Sorry if this happened to you, and I hope you don't stop reading!**

 **I'm also having two parts for each day, and each will have 6 POVs.**

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

Leandros Winthrop counts down from sixty, and the tension rises. Everyone around me is on edge, with only a few exceptions. I quickly scan the arena, trying to figure out who intends to enter the Cornucopia. From what I can see, the number of swords and overall supplies in the arena are minimal. Most years, the Careers will have enough supplies to last them weeks no matter how many kids enter the Bloodbath. But the supplies this year are limited, so any kid who takes a single blanket is probably greatly impacting us.

Most kids look ready to run into the Bloodbath, but a handful are facing toward the forest. And by 'a handful', I mean the two tributes on either side of me, who seem to be the only kids facing toward the jungle behind us. The boy from District 12 is on one side, and the girl from District 3 is on the other.

Technically, I know it would make more sense to kill the kids trying to gather supplies since there are so few. But I didn't Volunteer to have a lot of supplies in the arena - I volunteered to separate the sheep from the wolves and kill the sheep. I'll kill the wolves too, but the sheep must die first.

People who run from the Bloodbath are automatically marked as sheep in my eyes. Some sheep will also enter the Bloodbath, but it might be difficult to separate them from wolves amidst all of the chaos. I need to chase after the people who are definitely sheep. So I reluctantly turn my back on the few goodies placed in and around the Cornucopia and face the boy from District 12, who seems like he has no wolf in him at all.

He notices me staring and nervously licks his lips, then tenses up, getting ready to run. Leandros continues counting down - in a few seconds, the gong will sound and I can finally leap into the Games.

"3… 2… 1…"

The gong rings, and everyone leaps off of their pedestals as if on cue. The boy rushes toward the jungle, but he isn't a very fast runner. The girl from District 3 is much quicker and manages to pull ahead. I scowl; I suppose I won't be able to kill her yet. But the boy from District 12 is almost as slow as I am.

I'm not a faster runner, and I know it will be very difficult to run in the dense jungle, so I know it would be best to kill the boy before he gets away. The distance between us begins to widen, and I know if it widens any more, I won't have a chance of catching him. We reach the edge of the jungle, and I leap toward him.

I tackle him and yank him to the ground. He immediately scrambles to get away, but I punch him in the face, which promptly knocks him back to the ground. His hands fly to his nose, which is gushing blood, but I punch him again.

This time, I hear a loud snap and I know his nose is broken. The boy lets out a strangled cry and begins fighting to get away again, but I hold him down with my hand and knee. I only now realize that I don't have a weapon, which is a little inconvenient. I'll be able to kill him anyway, though.

I reach out for a mossy rock lying an arm's reach away, but as I do so, he bucks upward, knocking me off him. I let out a startled shout as I crash into the ground. I barely have time to process anything before the boy's fist connects with my face. He's surprisingly strong, and blood fills my mouth. I suspect he's knocked a tooth loose. I focus my vision on the boy in front of me, who has his arm cocked to punch me again. When he punches toward my face, I grab hold of his wrist. The momentum causes it to still hit my face, but I barely feel anything.

The boy pulls his wrist, trying to get away, but my strong hands won't let go. I twist his wrist to one side until I hear a snap. The boy cries out and I let go of his wrist. He immediately brings it toward him, crying out in pain. I use my foot to kick him back and he stumbles back against a tree.

This seems to snap him out of his daze, and he begins running away, still nursing his broken wrist. My aim isn't great, but apparently, it's good enough, because when I throw the moss-covered rock at him, it hits him square in the back and he falls over. I don't have time to be impressed by my aim.

I dart over to him just as he's trying to get back to his feet. I slam my foot into his back, knocking him back down. I grab hold of the rock, and before anything can go wrong again, I slam it into his head.

The boy screams in pain and terror as I bring the rock back into his head. It takes longer than I would have expected, but that's probably due to the spongy moss covering the outside. Eventually, blood begins to cover the rock and his screams die down. I strike him in the head one more time to make sure he's dead. The cannon doesn't boom, but it won't until the Bloodbath is over.

Even if he isn't actually dead, he isn't going anywhere. I won't feel satisfied until I'm absolutely sure, so I press two fingers against his slick, bloody neck and feel for a pulse. He's still.

I stand up and drop the rock. I need to get back to the Cornucopia - a lot of the stuff will probably be gone by now. I wipe my bloody hand against my pants and begin jogging back to the Cornucopia. The District 12 boy and I didn't go far into the jungle, so it doesn't take long until I'm back in the action.

There are a few bodies on the ground, but not an acceptable amount. I push past a few battles to reach the mouth of the Cornucopia, where the number of supplies remaining is pathetic. I scan the walls, but don't see any more swords. I groan and reluctantly snatch up a spear. I look at the table which previously held all of the guns - unsurprisingly, it's empty. It has also been smashed and is now in two pieces.

I really want a gun. The person with the gun is the one with all of the power. And since the gun is no longer in an easily accessible location, I'll have to take it from someone. I scan the battle scene ensuing around me, but only see one gun. It's held onto by a girl who's standing over someone she just killed.

I charge at her and she doesn't notice me until I tackle her to the ground and knock the gun from her hands.

"Trajan, what are you doing?" she demands angrily as I grab the gun. Cecelia glares at me, dusting off her white jacket, which is now stained with blood and dirt.

"I wanted a gun," I say simply, grinning. She seems very angry, but knows better than to mess with me. After all, I have the gun.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Tracey Aderyn**

* * *

Macey and I know we have no chance if we attempt to leap right into the Bloodbath. From the moment we were Reaped (or at least, when we finally accepted that we'd need to plan) we decided we stood no chance trying to get supplies and our best option would be to run away.

I was very glad when we first rose up and realized the arena held a dense forest. It has a lot of hiding places, which will be good for our strategy. It's impossible to tell how far the arena stretches yet, but I hope it's large. Macey and I carefully turned to face the forest (by now, everyone knows we have some issues with balance, and we didn't want to fall off the pedestal) and now we anxiously wait for the gong to sound.

When it does, Macey leaps off slightly before me and begins running. My foot lags behind slightly, surprised by her sudden burst of speed. I lose control of my leg and we topple to the ground. I fall face-first into the shin-high grass, not managing to block my fall in time.

"Go, go!" Macey shouts frantically, and tries to pull us up. I scramble up and begin trying to move forward, but we both fall back down. We have no rhythm for walking when we're trying to run at top speed.

I try to continue moving, but Macey is frozen. I look to my right and see Macey gaping in horror at something behind us. Terrified, I begin to turn my head, but before I can, a sword slams into Macey's neck, beheading her. I let out a scream as my sister's head rolls across the ground in front of me. As blood gushes from the stump of her neck, I begin feeling faint.

Not wanting to look behind me at Macey's murderer, I begin clawing myself forward, using my one hand to drag our body away from whoever is behind us. I know it's no use. Even if I manage to escape, I'll bleed out. Tears begin sliding down my cheeks as I lose the feeling in my body.

A pair of legs easily walk around me, blocking my path. The leather boots in front of me are the same color as my own; gray. I slowly raise my head to look up at Dennis. He maniacally grins down at me, holding a blood-stained sword. It's stained with Macey's blood. My blood.

"I said I would kill you in the arena. I said I would separate you," Dennis says in a low voice, still smiling creepily at me. "Now, I'm going to fulfill my promise."

I already feel myself fading as Dennis lifts the sword high above his head. My hand, which is clenched tightly around a clump of grass in anticipation twitches and falls loose, soaking up the warm blood I'm lying in. Before Dennis can bring his sword down on me, a body charges into him and knocks him to the ground.

It's too late. My head is fuzzy and drops, splashing into the puddle of blood. My vision goes spotty, then white, and then all of my thoughts fade.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

The moment the gong sounds, I leap off my platform and run toward the center of the Cornucopia. Around me, everyone else runs toward the Cornucopia just as fast. I grit my teeth and urge myself to run faster than I ever have, and I somehow manage to be one of the first people to the Cornucopia, despite my short legs.

I skid to a halt and immediately grab one of the two remaining guns on the wicker table. I consider taking the other one, when I hear a familiar scream behind me.

"Hadley!" Linen screams, and I spin around, losing my chance to grab the second gun. I don't worry about it, though, because I have more pressing concerns. Linen and Axel are both caught up in a tussle for a knapsack with the boy from District 3. I gasp and rush over to them as Axel and the boy (his name might be Nicholas?) wrestle each other. Linen slings the knapsack over her shoulder, but Nicholas strikes Axel in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Nicholas stands up, holding a dagger in his hand. I charge at him, confident that I can beat Nicholas. However, someone else reaches the three of them first.

The girl from District 2, Glitter Monique, aims a crossbow at the three of them. Not noticing me, she aims at Nicholas first. Without hesitation, she shoots a bolt through his heart. He crumples to the ground, dagger dropped and a bolt embedded in his chest. Axel and Linen both scamper to get away, but she aims at them next. She shoots a bolt at Axel, only hitting his calf.

I lift my pistol and shoot it at her. I've never used a gun before, and the recoil startles me. The bullet misses her greatly, but she looks up at me, surprised. I aim at her again, this time prepared and confident I won't miss.

Glitter seems to realize she's no match against me, at least while I have a gun, and darts away, back toward the Cornucopia. I intend to shoot her, but I hear my name yelled again. This time, it comes from Savanna.

I turn to see where it's coming from and barely have time to register the sight of Kade plunging a spear into Savanna's chest. On impulse, I raise my gun and fire at Kade. I don't miss this time - the bullet hits his temple, and he immediately falls to the ground alongside Savanna.

I rush toward the pair of them; they're near the pedestals and I have to push past the boy from District 8 in order to reach them, but I'm determined to see Savanna, to make sure she's okay. Maybe I saw wrong and the spear actually missed her?

But when I reach her body, there's a spear protruding from her chest and a puddle of blood surrounding her. I fall to my knees, unable to tear myself away. Savanna was my last bit of home, and now she's gone. She was the first person I connected with in the Hunger Games, and in a way, I felt determined to protect her. I've failed. I promised to protect her, and I couldn't even keep that promise for longer than ten minutes in the Hunger Games.

"Hadley, we have to go," Axel says, tugging on my arm. I yank my arm back, refusing to leave Savanna's corpse among the bloodthirsty Careers who caused this. She shouldn't have to just stay here, waiting for a hovercraft to pick her up as Careers laugh about her death.

"Hadley, everyone's leaving," Linen informs me, urgency in her tone. I look around and see that the Cornucopia is emptying out; only a few tributes are left fighting and a lot of the Careers are roaming free, without anyone to distract them from my alliance. Linen and Axel both loaded up with supplies; they have the knapsack that caused so much trouble earlier and both are armed with daggers. There's also what looks like a lasso tied around Axel's arm.

"We can't stay here," Axel presses, his eyes darting nervously around the Cornucopia.

"Fine," I say, picking myself up. The knees of my pants are stained with blood; I don't know who's. Axel thrusts the lasso into my hands and both he and Linen take off, rushing for the treeline. I run after them, the bloodstains on my knees warm and sticky. I peer over my shoulder at the Cornucopia as we depart. There are so many kids who had been alive minutes before, but are now lying dead on the ground. The group of Careers meet up near the center.

I make eye-contact with one of them, the boy from District 4, as we leave. For a second, I think he's going to run after us, but he tears his eyes away and faces the rest of his group. I breathe a sigh of relief as we enter the tree-line.

We're safe. For now.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Rachel Ivy**

* * *

I leap off the pedestal a second before the gong rings. I want to get a head-start, and I assumed I would land just after the gong rung. For one heart-stopping instant I think that I'll hit the ground faster than I expected and blow up into thousands of pieces, but then the gong sounds and my feet hit the soft dirt. Intact.

I race into the center, running the hardest I ever have. I can't afford to slow down at all; I'm not a super-fast runner (although, I wouldn't call myself slow) so I need to compensate with my adrenaline. My pedestal was at the very end of the semi-circle, so I can see everyone racing in to my right. The boy from District 10, Buck, was to my right and he's currently lagging behind, which doesn't bode well for him.

I can't see my allies, but if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm not looking that hard. I scanned the placements once when we first entered, so I have a basic idea where most of them are (although, I couldn't find Yael), so I know Tristana will be on the other side of Buck and Arabella will be almost perpendicular to me.

I know I should focus on grabbing supplies, since there aren't a lot of backpacks and most of them will be snatched up immediately. However, I have my eyes on the guns. Whenever a gun is placed in the Cornucopia, whoever manages to grab it automatically wields a lot of power. Power is something I'll need in the Hunger Games, so I need to get the gun.

A few people reach the Cornucopia before me; the boy from District 5, the girl from District 1, and Arabella. Arabella immediately runs past the guns (a choice which I think was terrible) and begins collecting goodies from inside the Cornucopia. However, I immediately realize why she chose to ignore the guns. The girl from 1 and the boy from 5 immediately get in a brawl over one of them, allowing me to rush up and grab one of the free ones.

At the exact same time, another girl reaches for my same gun and our hands both enclose around the barrel. I look up and see the girl from District 7, Zaira. She yanks on the gun and it almost slips between my fingers. However, I manage to hold on. Zaira sends a punch flying toward my face and it makes contact with my cheekbone. I grimace - that's going to leave a deep bruise. Before Zaira can inflict any more damage upon me, I use all of my weight (which is not saying a lot) to smack her in the side of the head and send her crashing into the wicker table holding the guns.

The weak surface immediately snaps and she crashes to the ground. She still clutches onto the barrel of the gun, but I have a much stronger grip on it. I easily yank it out of her hands and aim it at her. Her eyes widen, and a second later, I pull the trigger and her whole body slackens. The bullet enters just above her ribcage and a small amount of blood trickles from the hole in her shirt.

I loosen my hold on the gun, surprised at how unfazed I am. I guess it's good that I don't have a debilitating response to killing someone, but it freaks me out. Is there something wrong with me? Why don't I feel bad that I just killed a girl?

I'm shocked out of my stupor by the boy from District 8 almost crashing into me. He's running from someone and trips on Zaira's body, crashing to the ground. I look up to see the girl from District 1 chasing toward us with a gun, and I'm sensible enough to run.

I head away from the Cornucopia, looking around for my allies. As I do, I pick up a few things littering the ground including a dagger, a half-full water bottle, and a basket of fruit. I jam the bottle into the basket of fruit and hang that from my elbow, so my hands are free. I hold the dagger out in front of me, wanting to be ready in case anyone chooses to attack me.

Luckily, nobody takes notice of me. I make my way to the edge of the arena, where I see Arabella watching behind a mossy tree. She has a decent amount of supplies; the satchel and sleeping bag will be good assets and I suspect by the overflowing satchel, she has more supplies. I join her by the tree, where she's nursing a light slash on her arm. It doesn't look too bad, but she can't tear her eyes off of it.

"Are you okay?" I ask, putting my friendly-weakling facade up, again.

"Yeah, it's not a big deal," Arabella assures me, covering it with her jacket sleeve as if to prove it. "The District 4 boy caused me some trouble as I was getting out, but it's barely anything to worry about."

"Where are Yael and Tristana?" I ask. Arabella points at the Cornucopia, which isn't very helpful, since I pretty much assumed they were still fighting in the Bloodbath. I squint, and make out Tristana running toward us with a satchel and crossbow. She has to fight through a few kids to make it through, but comes out fine.

She doesn't stop running until she reaches us, then collapses, clutching a stitch in her side. She doesn't seem to have any major injuries, besides some minor scrapes and bruises.

"Where's… Yael?" Tristana manages to ask between gulps of air. Arabella and I shrug. I look back at the Bloodbath, but don't see Yael fighting.

"Do you think she's okay?" Arabella asks. The three of us exchange nervous glances. We wouldn't know if she's been killed or not until tonight, and it's better to get out of here sooner or later. We can't just wait around expecting her to show up, when the most likely explanation of her absence is that she's been killed.

"We'll wait a few more minutes," I decide. Arabella and Tristana nod in agreement. There's an uncomfortable silence in the next few minutes as we all wait for Yael to run out of the Bloodbath. Just when we've decided to get going, Arabella's keen eyes spot Yael running toward us.

We all turn to look as our final group member runs over with a sleeping bag tucked under one arm and a whip held in the other.

"I couldn't find another weapon," Yael grins, seeing our reactions to her questionable weapon choice.

"We should get out of here," I say. "The Bloodbath is finishing up - we don't want to stick around when it ends."

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

The moment gong sounds, I leap off of my pedestal, not wanting to waste a single second. I know I'm not the speediest guy, due to my muscular build, so I have to make up for it by keeping myself one-hundred-percent focused on the Cornucopia. If I get distracted for even a second, that can make a difference between me getting supplies or not.

The Cornucopia hasn't been this empty in years. Normally it's stocked with so many supplies, the Careers can last the whole Games on it (assuming it isn't destroyed by a flood or another tribute or something). This year, the supplies can probably only last us a few days - and that's including all of the food that will probably be taken by other tributes. We won't get to depend on Cornucopia supplies this year, we'll actually have to hunt and gather edible plants in order to stay healthy.

Despite my concentration on running as fast as possible, many tributes reach the Cornucopia before I do. One of the only things the outer district kids usually exceed the Careers in is running. A lot of tributes reach the Cornucopia before I do, including most of my allies and a lot of outer District tributes. Apparently, most of them have decided to risk running into the Bloodbath, which is unfortunate for me.

The guns are immediately fought over - Cecelia and the creepy boy from District 5 fight over one until Noelani runs to assist her and he decides to give up. Another gun is fought over by the girls from Seven and Twelve. The last one is left alone, and I think that I'll be able to grab it, but the boy from District 9 runs up and snatches it just before I get the chance to.

I groan in disappointment, but go to look for a sword. I'm okay with not getting a gun, as long as I have a sword. But when I go into the center of the Cornucopia, I immediately realize that the swords I saw hanging on the walls during the countdown are all missing. I curse in disappointment and angrily kick a packet of food.

Looking around, I can make out a few people who have swords. From what I can see, each of the swords is held by an ally of mine, except one - the boy from District 5 holds a blood-coated sword, just past the pedestals. He's stocked up with supplies, and I have no doubt that he'll be leaving the Bloodbath any moment now. If I want a sword, I have no time to spare. I can't take a sword from my allies, especially since I'm supposed to be their leader, so this kid is my only chance.

I dash toward him, leaping over the bodies of the girl from District 7 and boy from District 3. I reach him at a good time - he doesn't seem to notice me approaching, even though my footsteps can't be very quiet. He's focused on talking to a girl lying on the ground who I recognize as the Siamese twins - or _twin_ , because her sister's head is on the ground a few feet away.

He raises his sword and before he can notice me, I charge at him and knock him to the ground. He lets out a grunt of surprise as the sword is knocked from his hands and he's slammed to the ground with me on top of him. I don't block my fall, so my entire weight crushes him. He shouts out in pain, and waves his arms around uselessly, attempting to hit me. The angle is terrible, though, so I know I'm safe.

I reach out for the sword, but it's a few inches from my fingertips and I can't manage to reach it. I use my fist to slam down on his head, and his entire face is pushed into the soft dirt. He pulls his head back up, groaning in pain. I hit him again, and once again, his head is shoved into the dirt.

I don't want to kill him with my fists, but as I was stupid enough to not grab any other weapon before approaching him, I don't have another option. I glance at the body of his district partner (who is now clearly dead), hoping she'll have some kind of weapon in her hand, but there's nothing. I should have expected that - how would she have managed to get to the Cornucopia and back before I even reached it?

While I'm distracted, the 5 boy struggles to get away again, but I have a good hold on him. He's strong, but I'm much stronger and have an advantage. Since he's face down, he can't hit me back. All he can do in defense is wave his arms around in hope I'll somehow be close enough for him to strike me.

Feeling somewhat safe, I take this time to look around at the chaos of the Bloodbath. The District 11 girl is running past me right now. Around the Cornucopia, most people have left. There are only a few people still collecting supplies, and most are the rest of the Careers. I watch Cecelia get in a small fight with the boy from District 8. She easily manages to overpower him and shoots a bullet through his head a second later. I look back down at the 5 boy.

When he swings his right arm back again, I take hold of it and immediately begin pushing it down, toward his other arm. He actually screams as I apply more pressure - it won't be too much longer before his arm breaks. It's just about to snap when I feel something hit my head, hard.

I slink forward toward the ground, my vision blurring. I see dark spots, but manage to stay conscious. I barely notice the 5 boy break free, taking his supplies with him. My head aching, I groan and start attempting to get back up, when I'm struck in the head again. This time, my vision goes dark for a few seconds. I roll over, face-up, and see Buck swinging a shockingly heavy satchel toward my face.

I roll away and the satchel barely misses me. I jump to my feet but almost stumble, still feeling a little faint from the multiple hits to the head. Buck charges at me, and my now-slow reflexes don't allow me to get out of the way before he tackles me to the ground. My head snaps against the ground, causing even more pain in the back of my head. The ground is soft, but the previous pain is amplified so it hurts pretty badly.

I let out a loud curse word. I blink and look up at Buck, who has now discarded his satchel and is now simply using his fists to inflict pain. He cocks his arm and his arm moves so fast, I barely have time to register what's about to happen before I feel blossom in my jaw. I try to hit him back, but the angle doesn't allow me to wind-up and all I can manage is a light shove to his chest. He barely moves and responds with a well-aimed punch to my nose a second later.

I hear a loud snap and for what feels like the fifteenth time in the past five minutes, my vision goes spotted once again. Blood immediately begins to flood from my broken nose, covering my face. The majority of it trails into my mouth, which isn't good, since its currently my only way of breathing.

I feel another hit to my face, but it doesn't hurt as bad as my nose. Desperate, I use both arms to shove Buck back. The push is weak, and it doesn't manage to get him off me. It only pushes him back enough so that my stomach is free. He's hovering over my knees now. Before he can move back to attack my face some more, I swiftly send my knee up between his legs.

That was effective. Buck cries out and gets off of me, allowing me to get to my feet. I'm feeling slightly woozy, but way more confident now that he's no longer on top of me. As he momentarily staggers around in pain, I gingerly feel my nose. I wince after only slightly brushing it with my hand. Blood flows between my fingers at an alarming speed.

I wipe the blood off my hand using my pants and look back at Buck, who has returned to his senses and looks ready to attack again. Unsure of whether I'll be able to wrestle Buck in this state, I glance at the ground. To my surprise, the District 5 boy had not grabbed his sword before leaving. He must have been too afraid of Buck to spend any more time in the Bloodbath. Buck rushes at me, and I manage to step out of the way.

His slow speed allows him to change paths rather quickly, but not before I snatch the sword off the ground. Buck slips as he tries to change course and lands on the ground. His eyes widen in alarm as I approach with the sword raised above my head. Knowing he won't be able to escape, Buck raises his arms to protect his facing, already wincing. I slam the sword down at him. It slices through his hands, but doesn't go through them.

Buck yells out in pain and I strike him again. This time, his arms aren't blocking his head and it slices into the side of his face. He completely collapses, still yelling out in pain. I hit him with the sword a few more times until he's definitely dead, or at least incapable of moving.

I finally lower the sword, breathing heavily through my mouth (my nose is still bleeding). I look around - the Bloodbath seems to have almost ended. The last outer District tributes remaining in the Cornucopia, the District 9 boy and his allies, run into the forest. I don't bother chasing after them - I doubt I'd be able to reach them, anyway.

I stumble over to the Cornucopia, where the rest of my allies are grouped. Looking around, I see that all are alive… well, Kade's missing. As I get closer, I see his body splayed in the center of the Cornucopia. A small bullet hole pierces his temple. I feel slightly guilty when a small flicker of joy shoots through me - I shouldn't be glad over someone's death. I may have volunteered to kill kids, but I never said I'd do it with a smile on my face. But Kade was super annoying and I'm still not sure how he managed to worm his way into this alliance.

When I reach the Cornucopia, I fall to the ground. My hands immediately fly to my pained face. Blood is still flowing from my nose, but it's much slower. I pull up the hem of my shirt and hold it gently to my nose, hoping to staunch the blood flow. The rest of my allies come join me - most of them have some bruises and cuts, but no one's bleeding near as much as me.

"Are you okay?" Lucretius asks, squatting down next to me.

"Yeah, just a broken nose," I say. Lucretius winces in sympathy, which doesn't help. Cecelia and Noelani also lean down near me to expect my nose. The rest of my allies wander around the Cornucopia, inspecting the supplies, looking as though they couldn't care less about my nose.

"Have you set it yet?" Noelani asks me. I shake my head. "You need to set it soon so it heals properly. It will probably be less painful afterward."

"Okay," I agree, but don't touch my nose. It hurts when my shirt brushes against it, so I can't imagine how painful it will be to reset the bones.

"Are you going to do it or do I have to?" Cecelia asks.

"You know how to set a broken nose?" I ask her, surprised.

"We learn first-aid at District 1's training academy," she explains. In District 2, we didn't learn much first-aid. We learned how to fight, and the basic survival skills, but not much else. Before anyone can reset my broken nose (to my relief) a series of cannons boom out through the arena.

The Bloodbath is officially over.

* * *

 **District 8**

 **Linen Baird**

* * *

 _BOOM!_

 _BOOM!_

 _BOOM!_

 _BOOM!_

 _BOOM!_

 _BOOM!_

 _BOOM!_

 _BOOM!_

"Eight cannons," I say, when nobody else talks. "Eight people died in the Bloodbath. That's more than last year." Axel and Hadley nod in understanding, but neither of them say anything. Eight is sort of a lot of people - I heard that back in the first century of the Hunger Games, half of the tributes would usually die in the Bloodbath. But nowadays, the number is closer to six or so.

I don't bring up that one of the cannons was for Savanna, and another was for the boy that killed her… who was killed seconds later by Hadley.

I step over a thick root blocking the path. The jungle is very dense. When we first entered it, the trees were sort of short and there wasn't a lot of plants. But now that we've gotten deeper into the jungle, the ground has become much more imbalanced and full of plants. It's uncommon for us to find a patch of ground that doesn't have some vibrantly-colored plant covering it. The trees have also become taller, now. They seem to be getting higher as we get deeper into the forest.

We go about fifteen minutes without saying anything to each other. Both Hadley and Axel seem lost and though, so I guess I'm the only one who feels like talking. I want to respect their silent mourning (that's what I assume they're doing), but after a while, I can't resist speaking.

"What mutts do you think are in this arena?" I ask loudly. I'm immediately shushed by Hadley.

"Be quiet!" he hisses. "Do you want to draw the attention of other tributes?"

"The odds of other tributes being nearby are very small. And the odds they'll attack us are even slimmer," I remind him, but I do lower my voice a bit.

"There'll probably be a lot of mutts," Axel responds in a quiet voice. I can't tell if he's being as cautious as Hadley or just doesn't want to speak loudly. Probably a bit of both. "There are a lot of places for them to hide in this arena. I'm guessing there will be a lot of snakes and stuff."

"Snakes?" I repeat, feeling my heart jump. Snakes freak me out, probably more than any other creature.

"Yeah. We're in a jungle and can barely see where we're stepping. The Gamemakers will definitely have added some snakes," Hadley agrees. I wince and suddenly begin being very careful of where I'm stepping.

I fall silent now, focusing on where I'm stepping. I suddenly have a very vivid image of stepping into a bush, only to have a thick, poisonous snake leap out and bite me. I shiver and have a very strong urge to stop hiking in the forest. Every step increases the likelihood that the next one will have a snake.

"Can we take a break?" I ask. Hadley seems very hesitant, but Axel immediately agrees with me and we manage to persuade him to let us rest for fifteen minutes..

"We should look at our supplies, anyway," Hadley says. "The satchel is pretty heavy, so hopefully it will have some good stuff in it."

We find a nice seat around the trunk of a mossy tree and slide to the ground. Hadley sets down the satchel, which he volunteered to carry after we got away from the Careers. I look carefully along the ground to make sure there aren't any snakes or creepy bugs before plopping down.

"I have a gun and a lasso," Hadley starts.

"I have a dagger and this full water bottle," I tell him, holding up both of my supplies so he can see. We look at Axel expectantly.

"I have this dagger and two packs of food," Axel tells us. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out two thick packs of what look like condensed slabs of food. They look gross, but will probably fill us up.

"Okay, so what's in the satchel?" I ask excitedly. Hadley grins, for the first time since we entered the arena. He begins looking through the stuff and pulls it out one by one, setting everything down on the ground so we can see all of it.

"Five feet of rope… an empty water bottle… a hammer and a few nails… a switchblade…"

Hadley pulls out each of the objects as he says what they are. I get excited when he mentions the hammer, thinking it could be a good weapon, but it's so small it could barely do any damage to another tribute.

"You can have the switchblade, you need a close-combat weapon," Axel tells Hadley, who looks relieved. "I think I could use the nails as darts… I'll need to practice, the balance will be different, but I could do it. What else is there?"

"A compass…" After pulling out a rusty but functioning compass, Hadley's face contorts to a frown.

"What else is there?" I ask nervously. Hadley empties out the rest of the bag, and its contents surprise Axel and I as well.

"Some coins… not Panemian currency, though, so I don't know what use they could have…"

"What use would Panemian currency be in the Hunger Games?" I interrupt. Axel and Hadley ignore me.

"Some rags, and a bag of sand." Hadley lifts the bag of sand, and grunts. "Yep, that's what made the bag so heavy. Why would they stick a bag of sand in here?" he asks, sounding annoyed. I don't blame him. I'd be bothered too if I had to lug a useless item all over the arena.

"It probably has a purpose…" Axel starts, but I interrupt him.

"Leave it here," I say. Axel and Hadley look at me in surprise. "It's not worth it to carry it around, when it probably doesn't have a purpose." Hadley looks hesitant, but finally shrugs.

"I guess you're right," he says, setting it down.

"Now, aren't you glad I made us take a break?" I ask him.

* * *

 **I have another poll on my profile for your favorite of the remaining tributes.**

 **Eulogies will be the next chapter.**

 **I've updated the sponsor points to the best of my ability. If you find that you're missing points, just let me know.**

 **This alliance list does not include any deaths:**

ALLIANCES:

Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Kade?  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Macey/Tracey (obviously)  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Linen/Savanna/Hadley  
Zaira/Felix/Quentin

SOLO:

Lennox  
Nikola  
Dennis  
Ruce  
Buck

 **\- Lilah**


	35. Day 1: Part 2: The Aftermath

**Yikes, I haven't updated in nearly a month. I honestly have no excuse; I've been sort of busy now that my school has started back up, but my main problem was a lack of motivation.**

 **Just a warning - this chapter will be pretty slow. After so many tributes dying in the Bloodbath, there won't be a lot of action. It's mostly checking in with how each alliance is doing.**

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

As I sort through the supplies remaining in the Cornucopia, I attempt to tune out the sound of bickering ensuing in the background. I'm disappointed our Career alliance is already suffering drama this early in the Hunger Games, but I can't say I'm surprised. Cecelia and Trajan were fighting before we entered the arena, and it's not as though I expected them to stop when we began fighting for our lives.

"I got the gun first!"

"Too bad; I have it now."

"It should be mine!"

"But it's not."

I try to refocus my attention on the supplies in front of me. I've pulled everything remaining around the outskirts back into the Cornucopia, where it sits in a tragically small pile. We have even fewer supplies than I expected, and it definitely won't last us the entire Games. It will only last a few days at most, and that's if we ration it.

In the food and water pile, we have three baskets of fruit and a few handfuls of food from the insides of the satchels; two sleeves of crackers and a slab of condensed food that looks disgusting. For the water, we have three full bottles and plenty of empty bottles. The whole pile is dismally small, and I don't think it bodes well for our comfort during the rest of the Hunger Games. Usually Careers can depend upon having a generous supply of food from the Cornucopia as long as it isn't destroyed. But it looks like this year, food will be a problem.

The next pile is slightly larger, but that's probably only due to the blankets. This is every other useful item. We have five blankets, copper wire, rope, two compasses, a hammer, and nails.

The final pile is probably the biggest disappointment. It's all of the useless items that were some reason placed in the arena. Glorian keeps on insisting they may have some purpose, but some of these things can't have any use. There are scraps of metal, cloth, and leather that are too small to have any use. There's plenty of golden coins that aren't Panemian money, so I don't know what purpose they could possibly have. Even if they were valid currency, they wouldn't be useful inside the arena. There's one or two bags of sand, and seemingly the most useless item - a selection of mossy rocks which Glorian still refuses to throw out because he claims they may be useful.

"Are the supplies any good?" Lucretius asks. I glance to my right as he squats down next to me to inspect the piles.

"No," I reply. "We'll definitely need to go hunting for food soon, otherwise we'll starve." Lucretius utters a curse.

"Do you think Glorian would be mad if I had a snack now?" he asks hopefully. "I haven't eaten since this morning -"

"You can't eat anymore than necessary. We need to ration the food supply," I explain. Lucretius frowns and opens his mouth to say something else, but is drowned out by Cecelia and Trajan screaming at each other.

"We should probably figure out what's going on," Lucretius grimaces. I nod, and we head over to the fight. Things aren't looking well for the Career pack this year.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

We've been walking non-stop ever since leaving the Cornucopia. Linen and I have only convinced Hadley to take a few breaks, but everytime we do, he gets all nervous and twitchy and paranoid that someone is approaching. None of our breaks have lasted longer than ten minutes.

"When are we going to take an actual break?" Linen asks as we trudge through the thick plants covering the jungle floor.

"We took a break half an hour ago," Hadley reminds her.

"Hadley, it was only five minutes. You didn't even let us have any water."

"We need to conserve it until we find a water source," says Hadley. "We can't waste all of our water on the first day."

"What if we don't find a water source tonight?" I ask timidly. "Then will you let us have some water."

"We _will_ ," he insists. We're all silent for a minute. "Sorry," he mutters, "yes, if we're unable to find water tonight, we can all have a sip before bed."

Linen and I share an annoyed look - a sip of water after hiking in a hot rainforest all day is not much. But that's probably the best we can convince Hadley to allow us.

It's difficult to tell how late it is, because the canopy of leaves over us currently blocks out almost all light. The only way we can see where we're going are the small beams filtering through. It's very dark, though, which is quite unsettling. I'll have no idea whether I'm stepping on a snake or not until its fangs pierce my leg.

None of us have watches, so it's impossible to tell what the time is. But based on the aching in my legs and the little light, I'd say night is approaching fast. Normally, I'd be terrified of nighttime in the arena, where I somehow have to sleep with the constant threat of mutts, snakes, and bloodthirsty competitors, but I'm so tired, I'm almost eager for the chance to rest.

After a few more minutes of walking, the trees start to grow more sparse. They're still quite dense, but it's an obvious improvement.

"Maybe we're reaching a clearing?" Linen asks hopefully.

"Or the edge of the arena," I add.

After another fifteen minutes of the trees separating more and more, we do reach the edge of the jungle. Hadley stops immediately at the edge of the treeline and his hands shoot out to keep Linen and I from travelling any farther.

In front of us is a canyon. The leafy ground turns to a pale rock and then about a dozen feet from the treeline, the rocky ground slopes steeply downward. I've never been good at guessing distance, but I'd say it's about a 500 ft. drop, and 200 ft. across to the other side, where the rainforest continues. I finally get a chance to look at the sky, as well. It's turning pink, and the sun is just visible over the tops of the trees in the distance. Not too far from where we stand is what looks to be a rickety rope bridge trailing across to the other side.

"What are you doing?" Linen asks as Hadley grips the collar of her leather jacket and pushes her back into the jungle. She stumbles over a root and almost falls before I catch her.

"Do you want to get electrocuted? There could be a forcefield," Hadley explains. "A lot of the time in the Hunger Games, the forcefield is at the edge of a cliff or something. We have to be careful." Hadley begins creeping along the edge of the trees, looking for something. "There has to be a chink somewhere…"

"Why don't you just throw a rock at it and see if it rebounds?" I ask. Hadley blushes.

"Yeah, I suppose we could do that," he says, clearly embarrassed at his oversight. I pick up a small rock and chuck it at the canyon. It doesn't reflect, just falls into the canyon below. "Alright, so no forcefield. I guess we should just go to the other side."

Hadley gestures at the rickety rope bridge. Linen gapes at him in shock. She doesn't say anything for a few minutes, and it isn't until Hadley begins walking over to the bridge that she finds her voice.

"Wha - you - you're serious?" she gasps.

"Yeah," Hadley says, clearly not seeing the issue.

"Hadley, that thing looks ready to snap!" she shouts.

"Lower your voice," he hisses, his eyes darting around nervously.

"Hadley, I'm not walking across that," I say. Hadley turns to me.

"Axel, we have to get to the other side of the canyon!"

"Why?" I ask. "It's nearly nightfall, and this is as good a spot as any to set up camp."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, it has a view of the sky so we can see the deaths. The ground doesn't have any plants, so we don't have to worry about bugs or snakes hiding in it. And if the Careers happen to come along -"

"Which isn't likely," Linen adds.

"If they come along, we could try to trick them into falling into the canyon or something. It's better odds than a close-combat fight with them."

Hadley grumbles, but sees the logic in my point and gives up trying to convince us to cross.

"Fine," he sighs. "But we're going to try in the morning." I wince, but nod along. Linen also looks bitter at the prospect of crossing that rope bridge, but she's grateful that we can at least rest now.

We all unload our supplies by a tree and head into the forest to begin collecting wood for a shelter. Hadley is the first one to enter, and as I follow behind him, I catch Linen taking a sip of water out of the corner of my eye. She offers the bottle to me, and I graciously accept.

"Do you think we'll be safe tonight?" I ask her after I've taken a decent sip of water. It barely quenches my thirst, but it's better than nothing. Linen shrugs.

"As safe as we can be in the Hunger Games."

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

My dagger hits the rat's tiny body and a grin splits across my face. It would have been more fun to play with it beforehand, but my stomach is rumbling and I really want to eat. Even if it means not being able to play with my food first. I pick up the rat by its tail and yank out the dagger blade. It dangles, blood dripping to the ground. It won't carry much meat, but it will suffice.

I carry the rat back to my temporary camp, which isn't too far by. I've dumped all of my supplies in this general area, and even started making a clumsy shelter before realizing it was a lost hope and figured I'd just work on it later. I was clearly lying to myself, though, because the moment I see it, I feel an even deeper hatred of the idea of working on it. I sigh and scratch the back of my head gently using the point of my dagger. I have no willpower.

I sit down on the fallen tree (the main reason I chose this spot, the log makes an excellent seat) and carefully set the dead rat beside me. I'll want to cook it first, but I showed no potential when it came to fire-making during training. I've already gathered a few sticks for firewood, which lie in front of me, but that's the easy part.

I slide off the log to be closer to the potential fire, and begin rubbing two sticks together. I'm hoping that eventually I'll manage to get a fire started, even though I was unable to in training. I think if I'm more determined, it will be easier.

It takes half an hour, but I do end up getting a fire started. Desperate for it not to burn out, I breathe lightly on the flame as it gradually grows. My face splits into another smile as the fire starts going.

I take one of the sticks for the fire and use my dagger to begin sharpening the end. I wish I had a spear, but I didn't have the chance to grab one in the Cornucopia. I did grab a decent amount of other supplies, though, especially considering how little supplies there were this year. I have two daggers, a whip, two packs of food (both of which look disgusting), and two full and one empty water bottles. And of course, my most prized possession, the sleeping bag I managed to snag at the last moment. It lies underneath the half-finished shelter, already rolled out in preparation for tonight.

When the end of the stick is decently sharp, I skewer the rat on it and hold it over the crackling flames, which reach up and begin cooking the rat's body.

I'm not too concerned about the large amount of smoke drifting up. If a tribute sees it, I welcome them to come and try to fight me. I'm prepared. I'm more than ready to get my second kill of the Hunger Games. My clothes are already stained with the blood from the first, and I haven't made any effort to try removing the dried blood from my hands. I like how it reminds me of how it felt to kill my district partner.

I can't wait for my next kill. In fact, I hope a tribute wanders in this direction. Having no concern for the noise I'm making, I throw my head back and cackle to the night sky.

The Hunger Games have truly begun, and I'm thrilled.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

I'm already homesick.

Nighttime has come, and even though the dark sky is barely visible through the leaves, night is much more terrifying than day. This jungle is full of different creatures, which means that it's full of noise. The number of crickets chirping is quite a lot, but it doesn't drown out the sounds of rustling or branches snapping. Each time I hear something, I jerk up, convinced it's another tribute.

Yael assures me that she understands, but I still feel really bad because we're sharing a sleeping bag and whenever I move, I must be waking her up.

Tristana and Rachel (sharing the second sleeping bag) don't look like they're close to falling asleep, either, but at least they're not moving. The four of us are all camped around an unlit campfire, trying to get some sleep. We didn't really decide who would be keeping watch, because it seemed like none of us would manage to go to sleep, anyway. We got ready for sleep merely out of habit.

The fire's unlit because Yael and I were both trying to get it going when Rachel came back with wood for a shelter and started shouting at us about alerting the Careers of our position. So we never ended up lighting it.

We didn't manage to finish the shelter, either. It was nearly complete when Tristana thought she saw a snake (it was actually just Yael's whip) and fell into the shelter. The unsteady thing immediately fell apart. Tristana apologized profusely, which all of us accepted, but we felt too discouraged to restart it, so decided to sleep in the open. I definitely regret that now.

When the Capitol anthem booms throughout the arena, I nearly jump to my feet. I sheepishly sink back to the ground, muttering another apology at Yael, who dismisses it. I look up at the sky and find the Capitol emblem through some cracks in the leaves. It's difficult to see, but I think I'll be able to see the fallen tributes.

First is the boy from District 3. His face stays up there for a few moments before it's replaced with the girls from District 5. So far, no surprises. I am a little disappointed that there weren't any Career casualties, though. Normally there's at least one, but they all scored pretty high this year. The District 7 female is next. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tristana breathe a sigh of relief. I know she likes her DIstrict partner, so she must feel very assured that he's safe.

Next is the boy from District 8, Felix. I'm a little sad to see him dead, since he seemed nice. His face quickly fades to reveal the girl from District 9. She looks terrified, and it's unsettling to know she died only a few hours after this picture was taken.

When her face fades, Buck's appears in the sky. I can't help but utter a tiny gasp.

I wasn't close to my District partner, but seeing him dead makes me sad. And I'm very surprised that he's gone. He had a lot of potential to win, and I at least thought he'd make it to the Final 8. I didn't expect to see him die in the Bloodbath. My allies look at me sympathetically and Yael gives me a one-armed hug for comfort. A second later, it's her District partner who's in the sky.

She doesn't seem bothered by this. She constantly complains about how annoying he is (and after we met him, all of us agreed) but I'm surprised that she doesn't even flinch. He may have been annoying, but at least he was from her home.

Rachel's District partner is next, but unlike Yael, she shows some remorse. She doesn't seem too sad, but looks crestfallen and shakes her head in a disappointing manner.

"That's too bad," she says. "He was nice."

The Capitol emblem reappears, and then fades. The anthem carries out for a few more beats, until it's complete and fades away, leaving me with only the sounds of the night.

A branch cracks nearby and I flinch. This is going to be a long night.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

All that's left of the sun is the golden rays that sneak through the tree branches and slightly illuminate my path. The thick trees make it very difficult for sunlight to get through, especially now that the sun is beginning to set. I know the night will be infinitely worse since I won't be able to see at all, so it would be smartest for me to set up camp soon. I don't want to be left stumbling around in the dark until morning.

I sigh and stop in my path. I suppose here's as good a spot as any. It's not perfect, but it will be good enough. Two trees are lumped close enough together that I think I could wedge myself between them and be partially concealed. It's not ideal, and I consider climbing up the tree and sleeping up there, but I don't have a rope to tie myself in and death by falling doesn't sound like very much fun.

I ran away from the Cornucopia, so I don't have any supplies. I know that it's a wise decision, especially since the boy from District 1 was pursuing 12 and I, but a small part of me is beginning to regret it now that night is closing in, a chill runs throughout the arena, and my mouth feels parched. Not to mention the rumbling in my stomach.

I can live without food for a while, though. It's water that I'm concerned about. I've got a small frame, and dehydration will get to me in no time at all. Usually, Gamemakers don't let tributes die of dehydration, but if they're boring, they don't really care. They'd probably just let me get weak enough that I can't run and then corral the Careers in my direction. They've definitely done that before.

I'll look for water in the morning. The chances of me finding any tonight are slim, and I probably won't be able to tell if it's even drinkable until the sun comes back up. I wedge myself between the two trunks, but I can't seem to fall asleep. I'm not surprised, I'm much too terrified to even close my eyes for a second, much less fall asleep in the open.

I'm hoping that the darkness won't let anyone see me if they pass by. I'm pretty far in the arena, as well. My goal is to get to the edge of the arena, where no other tribute will venture. I know that the Gamemakers will probably send mutts on me and stuff, but I'd rather handle mutts than other tributes. Besides, most of the time, mutts are used for driving tributes together. Tributes aren't often killed by mutts unless the Gamemakers are desperate.

I sigh and try to settle back, hoping that I'll eventually drift off to sleep, but I can't. After about an hour of attempting to fall asleep, I hear something. At first, it's drowned out by the large amount of crickets chirping, but then it becomes distinguishable. It's the clear beeping of a sponsor gift.

My head jerks up, and I begin scanning the sky. I eventually see it drifting down toward me, a few feet away. I stand up, brush all of the dirt off my legs, and rush over to it. The gift descends slowly, but eventually lands in my hands and the beeping stops. I run back over to the trees, sit back in my spot, and begin looking at the gift.

The package has a big 3 on the side, confirming that it's for me, unless Nikola is hiding in the bushes somewhere near me. I pop open the top and look inside. A forty-ounce water bottle, filled with water.

"Thank you," I whisper to my sponsor, hoping that if anyone's nearby, they won't hear me. I almost miss a small scrap of paper hidden beneath the water bottle.

 _Good luck, Lennox. Ada and I are rooting for you. - Eddie._

Before I know what's going on, tears are rolling down my cheeks. I need to make it home for Ada. My shaky hands lift the water bottle to my mouth and I take several long gulps. When my throat is no longer parched, I tighten the lid and tuck my precious water beneath my jacket. I lean back against the bark and close my eyes.

I think I'll be able to go to sleep now.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

All of the Careers are grouped together inside the Cornucopia, partially huddled up for warmth, but mainly, a feeling of protection. It's not cold at night, but it's just enough so to make us uncomfortable and the feeling of unease just makes it worse. However, I think Glitter is snuggling against me far too much.

Unfortunately, no sleeping bags were left in the Cornucopia. We do have a lot of blankets, though, because I suppose the other tributes didn't think they were valuable enough to bother snagging when their life was on the line. It was probably a smart move, because our blankets are pretty unnecessary. It's only dropped fifteen to twenty degrees, and we don't even need them for cushioning, since the thick grass is enough.

Nonetheless, we're all wrapped in them. There are five blankets total and seven of us; the person keeping watch doesn't need one (none of us do, really), which left just two people to share. Glitter immediately volunteered her and I to share one, claiming she was 'taking one for the team', although I think everyone knew she just wanted to have an excuse to get close to me during the night. I couldn't refuse, so here we are.

I had been about to fall asleep when Glitter grabbed my arm, stretched it out, and began using it like a pillow. This made me super uncomfortable, not only because I dislike Glitter, but I knew there was a fair chance my girlfriend was watching. Once again, I couldn't refuse, but I've been unable to sleep, because Glitter repeatedly shifts to get more comfortable which wakes me up everytime I'm finally about to get some rest.

Lucretius is currently keeping watch. He's sitting against the wall of the Cornucopia, only partially paying attention to the clearing. He looks pretty tired. I don't know when his shift is supposed to be over, but I suspect soon. The only shift before his was Glorian's, and he's been keeping watch for a while.

Everyone else is fast asleep, a feat which I am impressed by. None of them stir even a little bit (aside from Glitter, who constantly moves). Cecelia and Noelani are sleeping next to each other at the very back of the Cornucopia. They're barely visible behind an empty crate. Glorian is by himself, sleeping against the wall of the Cornucopia. I don't know how he's managing to stay upright, but he doesn't look like he's about to topple over. His sword is held loosely in his hand. Finally, Trajan is splayed out in the very center of the Cornucopia. He has a weapon in each hand - his spear is barely touching his hand, but his gun is clutched tightly against his chest. Ever since he and Cecelia had the big argument over it earlier, he's been paranoid she'll try to steal it as he sleeps.

I'm just about to nod off, when a shout awakens me. I jolt awake quickly, my hand automatically tightening around my sword. I look around, and just see Glorian awake, looking panicked. Somehow, he failed to wake anyone else. Lucretius is staring at him in fear, though.

"Just a bad dream," Glorian says apologetically, and shifts against the wall to get more comfortable. He closes his eyes and begins trying to return to sleeping.

"Hey, Lucretius, I'll keep watch," I offer.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm awake anyway," I shrug. Lucretius sighs and thanks me before crawling slightly deeper in the Cornucopia, and falling asleep directly next to Glorian.

I gently pull my arm out from beneath Glitter's head and shimmy out from under the blanket. When I'm free, I breathe a sigh of relief and flex my arm as I feel the blood returning to it. Glitter's head is quite heavy. My arm begins to prickle as it wakes up, but I ignore it and tiptoe over to the edge of the Cornucopia, where I sit down and begin keeping watch over the clearing.

I could run. I could ditch the rest of the Careers now. Or I could slaughter one of them - preferably Glitter. But my gut tells me that I shouldn't make myself a target on day one. I don't want to end up like Buck.

But I will betray them, eventually. I couldn't stay in this dysfunctional group of killers the entire Hunger Games.

It's only a matter of time.

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F): Shot with a gun by Rachel Ivy (D12F) - I loved Zaira, and she was the death I debated the most about. I wanted her to live, but I couldn't think of any plots she would fit into or any I could form for her without conflicting with my other ideas. If she did survive the Bloodbath, she'd just be surviving without anything very interesting happening, so I figured it would be best to kill her off sooner rather than later. RIP Zaira.**

 **23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M): Shot with a crossbow by Glitter Monique (D2F) - Nikola was so sweet, and I initially had him planned as making it much farther, but I couldn't justify him escaping the Bloodbath. Tyquavis, you had two tributes, both of whom were pretty young (which is my fault, since I chose your younger submissions) and I knew it wouldn't make sense for them both to survive. The choice between Nikola and Axel was obvious. I also didn't have many plans for him, but that was mostly because I knew he was going to die in the Bloodbath for so long. RIP Nikola.**

 **22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F): Speared by Kade Anderson (D11M) - Savanna was so sweet, but realistically, not all four of Hadley's alliance would be making it out of the Bloodbath alive. Savanna had so many weaknesses, it was unrealistic she'd manage to survive. Even if she somehow survived, she'd probably end up going crazy. Since she got a much lower score than the rest of her alliance, I thought it would make sense for her to die. I had fun playing with her and Hadley's friendship, though, and she was a great character. RIP Savanna.**

 **21st: Kade Anderson (D11M): Shot with a gun by Hadley Moreau (D9M) - Everyone hated Kade. When it came to choosing people to die in the Bloodbath, I know he wouldn't be missed so it just made sense to kill him off. He was super annoying, but it was really fun to write his interactions and POVs. I could have taken him in a different direction that could have given him some redemption, but it didn't really fit with the story and I thought this would be better.**

 **20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F): Decapitated by Dennis Fielder (D5M)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F): Bled out due to injuries from Dennis Fielder (D5M) - Realistically, there was no way Macey or Tracey would survive the Bloodbath. They couldn't even walk on stage during the interviews, so the chances of them surviving the Bloodbath were very small. Even if they had survived, they'd basically be hiding the whole time which would be boring. Like Kade, they were obvious choices for the Bloodbath but I'll miss them. They were really fun to write about, as well. I don't think I got a lot of their condition scientifically correct or whatever, but ignoring that fact, they were really fun. RIP Macey and Tracey.**

 **19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M): Bludgeoned with a rock by Trajan Seth (D1M) - Quinten was so sweet, but seeing as his submitter hasn't been very active on this story, I thought it was his time to go. I really liked him and his interactions with the other tributes and the Capitol; I wish I could have shown him and his interactions with animals and nature, but my biggest regret is the fact that half the time I misspelled his name as "Quentin" instead of "Quinten" and I'm much too lazy to go through every chapter and fix it. That was an idiotic mistake on my part. I'll miss him, but I thought this death was for the best. RIP Quinten. (I accidentally wrote Quentin at first. I still can't get his name right).**

 **18th: Felix Camacho (D8M): Shot with a gun by Cecelia Hart (D1F) - Felix was a nice guy, but so many people were neutral toward him, I couldn't see him bringing a lot of action for the story. His submitter also wasn't reviewing, so I didn't think it was fair for them to have two tributes alive when so many submitters ended up losing all of their tributes. I liked Felix, but the fact that he was kind of under everyone's radar made it so that he was an obvious Bloodbath tribute. RIP Felix.**

 **17th: Buck Hayford (D10M): Sliced with a sword by Glorian Stafford (D2M) - This was probably the most surprising death. Buck had a lot of potential as a tribute (not as much as everyone thought he deserved, but still a decent amount). I didn't really have a reason to kill him, besides the fact that I didn't have many ideas for him. And since he didn't have any allies to interact with, I expected a lot of his POVs would be pretty boring. RIP Buck.**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Vincent  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Linen/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Dennis**

* * *

 **KILL LIST:**

 **Cecelia - 1  
Trajan - 1  
Glitter - 1  
Glorian - 1  
Dennis - 1  
Kade - 1  
Hadley -  
** **Rachel - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	36. James Blackworth I

**District 8**

 **James Blacksworth**

* * *

"Will Satin be back soon?" I ask Cooper for the umpteenth time today. My stomach has been rumbling since yesterday, and our food supply is completely gone. Satin went out this morning to snag us some more food, at least enough to bide us until tomorrow, when we'll have to pack up and move again.

We've constantly been on the move ever since escaping the Capitol. Satin somehow got us on a train out of the Capitol, which we rode until it stopped in District 6. It wasn't an ideal stopping place, since we were still in the middle of Panem, but at least we were far from the Capitol. District 6 isn't too heavily guarded, but we managed to get to District 12, where security is so weak, you might think they were rebels masquerading as Peacekeepers.

We easily slipped through District 12's electric fence (though, it took a few days of trying to figure out how to get past it before we realized it's never actually on). We had finally reached the wilds - although, the second part of the adventure was much easier than we expected.

Satin assured us that the Capitol probably wasn't searching for us, as we were only two rebels and a rich kid (two of whom weren't even adults), but to be safe, we should be careful. So, our life for the past year has consisted of moving around in the wilds, never staying in one place for longer than a few days.

Sometimes we go in the outskirts of the less heavily guarded Districts (never 11 or 8, or heaven forbid, 2!). Cooper and I don't really do anything. Satin goes off for days at a time, but always returns. I think he's trying to reform Die Freunde der Unterdrucken (though, if he is, I'd like to suggest shortening the name). However, Satin doesn't talk much about his plans and doesn't let us help, even when we beg. Cooper and I have been stuck at camp for a year, never anyone besides ourselves and Satin. We'd love some action, but Satin doesn't allow it.

"Will Satin be back soon?" I repeat, since Cooper still hasn't answered my question.

"I don't know, James. Stop asking."

Cooper has gotten more unpleasant in the time since we've been on the run. True, I didn't know him before, but his optimism has dropped gradually. At least he doesn't complain, though. I realize that my constant hunger and discomfort is annoying to the other two, but I can't help it. I grew up as one of the richest people in District 8; I'm used to good meals and luxurious living conditions.

Cooper is curled up by the dying campfire, his hand of cards forgotten. He has a thin blanket pulled over him. Despite the fact that it's summer, it's currently freezing outside. It's warm during the day, but at night the temperature gets low. Normally it's nothing more than an uncomfortable chill (a bigger deal for me than Cooper and Satin), but tonight's especially windy. There have also been dark clouds hovering over us for several hours, and Cooper and I are quite certain it will rain soon.

"It's cold," I mutter as another biting gust of wind sweeps over us.

"If you're going to complain, go inside the tent."

I don't move, knowing that the tent will be even colder than out here. At least we have the fire, even though it's getting dimmer as we speak.

I think we're currently in District 7, but really high, where there are barely any trees. According to Satin, we're just on the edge - where the thick forest changes into hills and District 7 changes into the wilds. Cooper and I used to be down in the valley, but then we moved up because we were afraid of rain. It caused more wind, but at least we don't have to worry about flooding. And we have a nice view of District 7, if we look hard enough. Just the forests, not the actual town or anything.

I actually really wanted to see District 7. Not as much as I wanted to see District 4, in the short time we visited, but I was still really curious. Unfortunately, Satin refused both times. He said that the only Districts we could enter were Districts 12 and 10, which have the lowest security, But we've never gotten close to 10, since it's in Southern Panem, and why on Earth would we want to enter District 12?

"Can you pass me the water?" I ask. Cooper thrusts a dirty bottle at me. I wrinkle my nose, but take it and sip water anyway.

"I miss my family," he says after a moment. I pause, lowering the bottle from my lips.

"At least you have one," I say, bitterly.

"That's the thing," he says, staring off into the distance. "I don't know if I do. They could have been murdered. They probably _were_. Why wouldn't they execute them in place of me?"

Cooper's voice cracks and he breaks into tears. I sit still, extremely uncomfortable by this sudden burst of emotion. I have no idea what to say that could possibly comfort him. Because I private agree with his suspicions - the Capitol don't care _who_ they're killing, as long as they are killing. That's what happened to me. My parents were executed in place of Markus, and they tried to kill me, as well. The only reason I'm alive right now is because Satin's a genius who somehow found a way for us to escape.

The Capitol doesn't care if they kill innocent people. I don't know what they're doing now, but whatever it is, it won't be good.

* * *

 **Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Updates will definitely take longer, but I'm going to try and keep posting semi-regularly.**

 **In case you haven't realized yet, Part 1 is the morning and early afternoon in the Games, Part 2 is late afternoon and the evening and night in the Hunger Games. Of course, if there's a slow morning and an action-packed evening, Part 1 will probably include the late afternoon or something so it's not super boring. Part 3 will feature one or two POVs from a character outside of the Hunger Games, not always in the night.**

 **Also, this isn't proofread (as usual) so ignore any grammar or spelling mistakes.**

 **Don't forget to review!**

 **\- Lilah**


	37. Day 2: Part 1: Animals Not Tributes

**Ignore grammar mistakes. You probably expect this by now, but I have not proofread.**

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Linen Baird**

* * *

I yawn and open my eyes, blinking heavily to wipe away the remnants of sleep. Some light is sneaking through the cracks of our rickety shelter, but at least it didn't collapse overnight. I was slightly concerned by that possibility when I was trying to fall asleep last night.

When I sit up my back crack. I let out a groan as I start stretching my limbs. Sleeping on a rock isn't very cozy, even after Axel and I laid reeds of grass down as a bed. Axel and Hadley are no longer in the shelter, which momentarily concerns me. What if they were killed? Or fell off the cliff like idiots? A cannon could have fired while I was asleep.

However, when I poke my head out of the shelter, Hadley and Axel are standing right outside, arguing about something.

"What's up?" I ask, brushing dust off the seat of my pants. The pair turn to me, both looking exasperated.

"Linen, thank god you're up," Axel starts. "Hadley wants us to walk across the rope bridge. Please explain to him how insane he is." I turn to Hadley, my jaw gaping.

"You seriously want to go across that?" I demand.

"Well how else would we get across?"

"Why do we need to cross at all?" Axel reasons. Hadley groans.

"The Careers could reach us at any moment! We're not too far away from the Cornucopia. If we stay here, we'll die."

"We're in the Hunger Games. We could die whether we make it to the other side or stay here. But if we stay here, at least we won't die on the morning of the second day," I say. Hadley looks angry, then turns on his heel and stomps toward the bridge.

"What are you doing?" Axel nervously asks.

"Proving that this bridge isn't dangerous," he replies. Axel rushes over to Hadley, but I stand my ground.

"Hadley, don't walk on that!" Axel shouts. Hadley disregards him and places his foot on the first board. I hold my breath as he takes a second step, putting all of his weight on the bridge. The ropes creak, and it sways precariously. However, it does not give in and drop Hadley to his death. He grins and waves us over.

"Come on, let's cross!" he shouts. "Linen, don't forget the backpack."

Grumbling, I retreat back into the shelter to grab our supplies. Axel and Hadley both have their respective weapons, so the only things I need to grab are the satchel and my dagger. I sling the satchel's strap around my arm, but I keep the dagger held out in front of me. I don't want to be surprised by any attackers or muttations at any moment.

When I exit the shelter and go over to my allies, Axel has yet to walk onto the bridge.

"What if it collapses under the weight of all three of us?" he wonders. Hadley is already a fourth of the way across. I shrug, and slip past him to step onto the bridge. After placing all of my weight on it, I wait a moment, prepared to leap back onto the ground in the case that it falls. It stays intact, so I take another step. Finally convinced that the bridge is stable (at least enough for me to cross) I speed up my pace, closing in on Hadley.

The bridge still sways in a very threatening way. The planks for footholds are also placed far enough that I have to watch where I step. If I don't, I may slip right through. I hold tightly to the ropes on either side, not wanting to misstep and fall to the ground.

I'm only a few feet away from Hadley when the ropes start shaking and the bridge dips even more. I gasp, automatically stopping and clutching the ropes tightly. With a quick look over my shoulder, I can see that Axel has finally decided to walk across the bridge. He glances up at me, nervously, then immediately ducks his head back down to watch where he's stepping.

I breathe a sigh of relief, and turn to see Hadley nearly at the other side of the canyon. I resume walking across, wanting to limit my time spent on this bridge as much as possible. I'm fairly agile, so it doesn't take too much effort for me to catch up to Hadley once more. He steps on the ground only a few seconds before me.

The moment my feet hit hard, steady ground, I breathe a sigh of relief and flop down. I watch as Axel makes his way across with careful precision. He's taking quite a long time and his foot placements are _painfully_ deliberate. Even though it takes forever, he finally manages to reach Hadley and I. Grinning, Axel steps onto the ground.

"Well, I told you guys we wouldn't die, didn't I?" Hadley smirks.

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Lucretius Marlo**

* * *

"We need to go hunting today," Glorian states as soon as all of us Careers are awake and somewhat fed (Glorian and Cecelia forbade us from eating any more than a few bites from one of the gross packs of food). Trajan and Glitter both grin happily at this news.

"Excellent. There are way too many sheep left wandering about the arena," Trajan remarks, sharpening his sword threateningly. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Cecelia groan and roll her eyes. Glorian doesn't notice her but glares at Trajan. At this point, we're much too used to Trajan's odd metaphors.

"Not hunting tributes, hunting animals." The smiles plastered on Trajan and Glitter's faces immediately drop.

"Why? We have food," Glitter says, a little disgruntled.

"Not much," Glorian points out. "We only have a bit of fruit, and maybe a few crackers. That won't last us longer than three days, and that's if we ration it. We need to collect or hunt food before we run out. This isn't like other Hunger Games, where the Careers are just given enough supplies to last them through the entire Games. They didn't have to worry about that. We do."

Noelani, Cecelia, and I nod in agreement.

"The outer District tributes got a lot of food as well," Cecelia adds. "We're more or less on an even playing field with them. Careers have a reputation as being useless without food being given to them by the Capitol. In past Games, when their food stocks are somehow destroyed, they die quickly. We don't want to be like that."

"We didn't enter the Hunger Games to die of _hunger_ ," Glorian sneers.

"What, so we just spend all of our time hunting for animals rather than tributes?" Glitter asks. Glorian shrugs.

"Pretty much."

"But that's not fun! That's not what I signed up for!" Glitter exclaims. Vincent, who's sitting very close to her, shifts uncomfortably.

"As much as I hate to agree with the Two girl," Trajan says, grimacing, "she's right. We can't just spend all of our time feeding ourselves and allowing the other tributes to do whatever the hell they want. It'll be boring."

"Are you seriously concerned with putting on a good show?" Cecelia asks him, sounding disgusted. He glares at her.

"Yes, I am. Don't scoff. The Careers are the ones that keep the Hunger Games interesting to watch. We get most of the viewers. If we spend all of our time out of the action, we'll lose viewers and sponsors. The Gamemakers will likely send muttations after us to spice up the Games. So yes, I care whether we're putting on a good show or not."

Cecelia must realize that Trajan makes a good point, because she doesn't say anything else. She glares at him, which is probably her best response at this point. Glorian pinches the bridge of his nose, thinking.

"Alright, how about this? One pair hunts for tributes and another hunts for animals. Of course, if either runs into an animal or tribute, then they kill them regardless. This way, we'll provide some action _and_ some food. Is everyone satisfied?" Glorian says, and we all nod. "In that case, Glitter and Cecelia will hunt for tributes and Lucretius and I will try to find some food." My eyes widen, surprised Glorian decided to take me along. I'm slightly flattered, and begin blushing.

Glitter and Cecelia, however, don't have a positive reaction to the pairing. As soon as the realization sinks in, they both start requesting a different partner.

"Why not Vincent and I?" Glitter exclaims.

"Can I take Noelani, instead?" asks Cecelia.

"I don't want to have to hunt with Cecelia!"

"Glitter will probably scare off all of the other tributes. She too loud and obnoxious to sneak up on them."

Glorian groans and brushes his messy black hair out of his eyes.

"I'm not changing my decision," he says firmly, but neither of them quit complaining. "If either of you bothers me anymore, I'll kick you out of the alliance." This time, they both shut up.

The four of us tasked with hunting begin to collect our weapons and a few supplies, but all of a sudden it begins raining. The raindrops are very light, so it almost seems like mist, but the quantity makes it so I'm soaked almost immediately.

"It's raining," I observe.

"Well, it's a _rain_ forest. Did you think it'd be snowing?" Trajan says, rolling his eyes. He and Noelani and Vincent have made their way into the Cornucopia to stay dry. I notice that Vincent has set up make-shift buckets out of empty cartons to collect water. He's smarter than I initially thought. I ignore Trajan's comment.

"Come on, Lucretius," Glorian calls. "We might be able to stay dry under the trees."

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

The four of us are gathered under a mossy tree, sitting in silence.

The rain started about an hour ago, but it hasn't effected us too much. The cover from all of the branches and trees over our heads is enough to keep us mostly shielded from the rain. However, at this point, the slow build-up of moisture from the rain has left our clothes all damp and our hair stringy and wet. My brown hair is tied into braids, but Rachel's hair is hanging loose and it's currently plastered all over her forehead.

"I hate humidity," she groans, brushing a dripping clump of dark hair from her eyes.

"It's not too bad," I shrug. Even though it's only the second day in the arena, the rest of my group has already started to get a little downhearted. Even Tristana has lost some of her usual peppiness. Which leaves me to be the optimist, and the one trying to cheer everyone up. "Does anyone have any funny stories?" I ask. Everyone ignores me.

"Do you think we're too close to the Careers?" Tristana asks nervously. "We didn't travel too far from the Cornucopia yesterday. The Cornucopia can't be too far away."

"We're far enough that we shouldn't have to be too concerned. And there's a lot of us, I think we could manage to at least hold off the Careers for a while," says Yael.

"I agree with Yael," interjects Rachel. "Plus, there won't be too much space left in the arena to travel to, even if we did decide to move further away. Arenas like this, where there are so many hiding places, aren't super expansive. The arena designers make it even, like that. If it's a desert arena or something, it's large. But if it's some forest, it tends to be smaller. Have you noticed that?" Tristana shakes her head, still looking nervous.

"See? We're safe," I say. "How about the funny stories? Anyone have anything good?" Once again, everyone ignores me.

"Is that a monkey?" Tristana asks. I follow her finger and see a black figure moving around on a branch high above our heads. It's difficult to see through the mist, but I would be surprised if it were anything other than a monkey.

"I think so," Rachel says. She's looking up as well. She stands up, her hand holding a dagger in one hand and the gun in the other. Yael and Tristana follow her leading, also grabbing their weapons and standing at the ready, leaving me the only one sitting on the ground.

"It's a monkey, it won't attack us," I say. Rachel rolls her eyes.

"Ari, it's an animal in the Hunger Games. I wouldn't be so sure."

"Yeah, monkeys are one of the most common mutts programmed to attack," Tristana adds. I stay quiet, a little less sure. I haven't seen many Hunger Games, since my mom didn't let me watch any until I was eleven. She didn't want to 'emotionally scar me'. None of the Hunger Games I've seen have featured monkey muttations, but in hindsight, I'm sure many of the ones I _didn't_ see have.

I grab my dagger and stand up. I look back up at the branches, but I can no longer see the creature.

"Is it gone?" I ask. All of a sudden, I feel something crash onto my head and begin screeching like crazy. Claws sink into my scalp and I feel my hair being tugged. I can't see anything. I begin screaming, but my mouth is filled with fur from the chattering monkey atop my head.

 _BANG!_

A gunshot rattles throughout the arena, and the monkey slumps off my head, bleeding from the bullet-hole in its head. I stare at it in shock. My hair is in disarray, my head hurts, and there's blood trickling down my face. I'm unsure whether it's from me or the monkey. Probably both.

Rachel slowly lowers her gun, her eyes still darting around. I quickly rush over to the rest of my alliances, standing between them. A few more monkeys leap down from the branches in screeching heeps, but none land on anyone else's heads. They chatter and begin circling us. I make eye contact with one, and its beady red eyes make me shiver. I back up until I'm against the mossy tree. The rest of my allies have made a circle around me, protecting me from the rest of the animals.

One monkey lunges toward our clump, but Tristana shoots it with a bolt before it reaches us. At this, the rest of the monkeys erupt into chaos and all charge at us. They come from everywhere - in front, my left, my right, even above my head. The chattering monkeys move so quickly, I can hardly process where any of them are. I just swipe my dagger around, trying to prevent anything else from grabbing onto me.

"Run!" I hear someone shout, and someone else grabs my wrist and yanks me away from the tree. I don't hesitate to follow them as we race away from the monkeys. I'm faster than any of my allies, so I quickly pull ahead from the rest. I run until the chattering seems distant, when I come to a halt. I look behind me, panicked. Did I just leave my allies to get eaten my monkeys? Am I that selfish?

I wait a moment, and when I don't see any of them arrive, I begin running back where I came. I ignore my brain, which is saying, " _Arabella, what the hell are you doing? Run away from the monkeys, not toward them!"._ All I know is that I can't leave my allies to die.

However, I don't need to move closer before I see Yael push through a bunch of plants and run toward me.

"Keep going, Rachel and Tristana are on their way," she pants, and jogs past me. I hesitate - what if they get attacked before they can escape? - but I decide to follow Yael's example and run away. Hopefully, like she says, they manage to reach us.

I break through a bunch of vines blocking my path and run. I can see Yael not too far in front of me, and to my relief, I hear footsteps behind me. I charge ahead once again, passing Yael. I don't stop this time, I just keep running. I can still hear Yael behind me, so I know I'm not drifting too far.

I only stop when I nearly slip in mud. I skid to a halt, and breathe a sigh of relief. I think I'm safe this time. I'm right beside a river, and even though I'm now fully exposed to the rain, I can't hear anymore monkeys. Yael reaches me a few seconds later, breathing heavily.

"Are they okay?" I nervously ask her. All she can do is shrug.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

I'm still bitter that Glorian didn't let me hunt tributes. I'm the one who reminded him about the importance of hunting tributes, but yet, he chose _Glitter_ (who is completely useless) and _Cecelia_ (who is even more useless) to hunt tributes. And then he left me to guard the Cornucopia, which doesn't have any important supplies anyway, along with the one-armed girl and the guy who isn't even a Career.

Neither have responded to my attempts to talk to them, which is frustrating. It's not like we have anything else to do. We're not allowed to leave the Cornucopia, and the Gamemakers didn't put entertainment options in here. Instead of talking to me, they're both staring at the rain with bored expressions on their faces.

I hate everyone in this alliance. Glorian may be a wolf, but he doesn't let me do anything. I can't kill him yet, though - I need the alliance to be smaller, so they won't be a threat if I kill Glorian and then ditch the rest. I don't want the rest of them to be chasing after me the entire Hunger Games - I know I could beat any of them in a fight, but not if they all teamed up to fight me.

Glitter may have the mentality of a wolf, but she's too useless to be any kind of a threat. She's more like… a wolf with a broken leg, but she doesn't realize her leg is broken because her brain is roughly the size of a grape.

If Glitter's a wolf with a broken leg, then Noelani's a wolf without _any_ legs. She acts tough, but let's be honest - what can she do with one arm? I'm not worried about her, she'd be easy to take out.

Lucretius is a sheep. He has the brains of Glitter and the fighting ability of Noelani. At least Noelani can function on her own. Lucretius is completely dependent. I think if I were to take out all of his allies, he'd be useless. District 4 is not worrying me - neither of them have strong competitors.

I have yet to learn whether Vincent is a wolf or sheep. When I asked him, he gave me an odd look and then ignored me. I'll have to discover for myself.

Cecelia is a wolf. As much as I hate to admit it, she's one of the stronger tributes in our alliance and the only one besides Glorian that I'm not one-hundred percent confident I could defeat in a fight. However, I do think I'm stronger than her and I have good odds if we finally battled - which I'm very excited for.

The rain continues pattering on the Cornucopia and I slide back to lean against the side. I watch Vincent and Noelani as they wait for the day to be over. But there's a lot of time left, and I suspect that they'll eventually give in and decide to converse with me. All I have to do is wait for that moment.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

I feel like I've been walking in circles all day. I'm trying to reach the edge of the arena, but the fact that I have yet to see any sort of change in my surroundings suggests that I'm making no progress.

After hours of walking, I finally stop to drink a bit of water. I've been able to drink a lot today, because I've been constantly refilling my bottle with rainwater. It's one of the perks to being in a rainforest. I can't depend too much on the chance of consistent rain throughout these Games, though, because the Gamemakers have been known to spoil their tributes with resources then suddenly cut them off. I can't let myself let my guard down.

I recap my water bottle and look around at my surroundings. I can't distinguish these trees from the ones I saw an hour ago. They're just as tall, just as green, and just as dense. I need to find some way to determine whether this tree is the same one I'll see in two hours. Looking around, I spot two decently sized rocks on the ground and pick them up.

I find a particularly large tree and begin lining rocks up around the base. I grab two more and place them next to the others, starting to form a full circle around the trunk. When I finish, there's a clear ring around the tree. If I see this ring of rocks again, I'll know for sure whether or not I've been travelling in circles.

Satisfied, I set off again. Hopefully, I'm not walking in circles, but at least now I'll know if I can. I can't stand lack of progress. Besides, if I've been circling the same place for hours, it rises the chances that Careers are nearby. I need to get as far away from them as possible, and that's what I'm trying to do. The more distance between me and everyone else, the more likely I am to return home to Ada.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

"Glitter, would you just shut up?"

Glitter glares at me, and definitely does _not_ shut up. In fact, she seems to be talking even more. I suspect she's just doing it to bother me at this point. And it's working.

"I've been training for the Hunger Games my whole life. My parents aren't into training, though, so it was difficult for me to convince them to sign me up at the training academy. Mom finally caved in when I pointed out that after I won, she might be able to move to District 1. It probably isn't true, but she doesn't know that. I suppose she does now. But she can't do anything about it, because I'm already in the arena. Sorry, Mom. Anyway, Mom loves District 1 for some reason and I don't know why. Dad used to like District 2, but after he married Mom, she forced ideas about District 1 down on him until he finally gave up supporting District 2 and began to love District 1 as well. At least, he acts like he does. I doubt he actually does. Dad's kind of a pushover. He likes whatever Mom likes. I'm the opposite…"

Glitter continues blabbering away, but I've tuned out at this point. I can't listen to her longer than a few seconds. She's so irritating and is seriously making me consider cutting my own ears off.

"...I'm so glad that kid Sprucen died. He was so annoying, and very rude. I'm shocked Trajan wanted him in our alliance. And then Vincent got to replace him! Vincent's so handsome, with his blue eyes and tan skin… he's very strong as well. He says he was a lumberjack back in District 7, and his biceps show it. He's has nice muscles..."

I resist the urge to gag. The worst part about Glitter Monique is that she pretends to be all tough and serious and bloodthirsty, like a stereotypical District 2 tribute, and then she goes and rants about Vincent Elm's eyes and biceps non-stop. Even though she talks about despising District 1, she reminds me of many girls in my District that people would consider stereotypical District 1 females.

"I only got a nine in training because I didn't want to appear too threatening. I downplayed my skills a bit. Purely strategic - I'd definitely be able to score higher than you. Even though I was only trying about half as hard as I normally do, I was still predicted to get fifth place. Imagine what I would I have scored if I tried my best -"

"So you've only been fighting half as hard as you can?" I interject.

"Yes."

"Are you planning on fighting your hardest at some point?"

"Of course," she says, glaring at me suspiciously.

"So are you going to stop using half of your thinking ability at some point?"

"For your information, I've been using all of my intelligence," Glitter says stiffly.

"Oh. I just assumed you were only using half, because… well, I didn't know it was possible for anyone to be this stupid."

Glitter doesn't know how to respond. I've finally shut her up. Enjoying the silence, I rush up ahead. I hope this silence last for at least another five minutes, because that's probably the most I can hope for at the moment.

* * *

 **Here's part one of day 2, finally! Sorry for taking so long to post this. Don't forget to review! Even a short review is appreciated. If you're really busy and don't have much time for reading and reviewing, I understand. If you PM me explaining, then I won't kill off your tribute for lack of reviews or anything. I only kill off tributes if I think the submitter has just given up on the story (and if it fits the plot, of course).**

 **I have a poll for Day 2 on my profile. I'm going to have a new poll after each day, just so I can get a feel for different** standings.

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Vincent  
Cecelia/Noelani  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Linen/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Dennis**

* * *

 **KILL LIST:**

 **Cecelia - 1  
Trajan - 1  
Glitter - 1  
Glorian - 1  
Dennis - 1  
Kade - 1  
Hadley - 1  
Rachel - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	38. Day 2: Part 2: With the Odds

**This chapter is a bit longer than I planned. I've been trying to get around 500 words per POV (1000 for chapters with a lot of action), but I got carried away with some of them.**

 **As usual, ignore any grammar errors because I'm too lazy to proofread!**

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

I step over a mossy green log carefully. The last thing I'd want to do is twist an ankle right now. I don't know where I'm walking, unfortunately. I don't have a compass or anything, so I don't know what direction I've been walking all day. I haven't encountered any other tributes or even muttations.

I'm guessing it's about midday, since I feel like I've been up for hours and the sun is the brightest it's been. The rays are so bright, I no longer have to worry about stepping on a snake or getting my foot caught under a root simply because I can't see where I'm walking.

I feel like I may be walking in circles. There's an abnormally tall tree up ahead that looks suspiciously similar to one I passed half an hour ago, and another before that. I squint my eyes, trying to tell whether it _is_ the same exact tree.

There's a loud chirping sound above me, and my head jerks upward toward the sound. What is it? Is it a mutt?

I stop walking and stand still for a few minutes, waiting to see if there's any mutts about to jump out at me. However, nothing appears and the chirping noise discontinues. I narrow my eyes suspiciously but decide that I'm safe, and continue walking toward the tree.

As I approach, I notice that there's a ring of rocks around the base of the tree. It looks very intentional, and I'm concerned for a moment - is this some kind of a trap set by the Gamemakers? But then I notice a footprint in the damp ground. It's very clearly from a tribute's shoe. My eyes follow the tribute's tracks, and I see them leading past the tree. I haven't noticed these before - they're light, but easy to spot if I know what I'm looking for.

Grinning, I begin to follow the tracks. It looks like I'm finally onto something.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

"Ah!" I shout, startled. Using my finger, I flick off the huge bug resting on my exposed arm. It lands on the ground and scampers away. I shiver, disgusted as I see it disappear behind a large leaf, still dripping rainwater onto the ground.

"What?" Axel demands nervously, looking around. His hand tightens on the dagger clutched between his fingers.

"Don't worry, it's just a bug," I assure him. Linen and Axel both drop their weapons, breathing sighs of relief. I don't calm down, however. I pinch the skin where the insect was and inspect it. A poisonous bug seems like exactly the type of thing the Gamemakers would supply the arena with. However, I can't see signs of a sting or bite, so I calm down a bit. I still can't help but wonder what would have happened if I didn't notice the creature in time.

I roll my sleeve back down over my arm. I had pushed them up to my elbows earlier because the heat and humidity were making me really sweaty, but I'd rather be slightly overheated than eaten alive by bugs.

Linen and Axel have stopped complaining about the constant hiking. I think they're beginning to realize how important it is that we put a lot of distance between ourselves and the Careers. I suspect their legs are tired, like mine, but they aren't saying anything. I really appreciate it.

"What's that?" Axel asks. I look at him and see that he's pointing to a tree. At first, I don't see anything unusual about it.

"It's a tree," Linen responds. Axel rolls his eyes and beckons us over to it. When we're closer, he points at the trunk, which has some kind of symbol carved into the bark. It looks like a circle, which some kind of curve attached. Linen gets closer and inspects it some more. "It looks a bit like a bull," she observes.

I get closer and squint my eyes. I guess it does resemble a bull or at least a simple sketch of the head. The curve could be horns, and the circle could be the face.

"Maybe," I say.

"Why do you think it's here?" Axel asks.

"It's possible another tribute carved it, but I think it's more likely the Gamemakers placed it here. It might symbol a trap or something," I say, biting my lip.

"Do you think a bull is going to come storming out of the trees any moment?" Linen asks. She's trying to have her normal bravado, but her voice wavers.

"I don't know, but we should get out of here," I respond. I start to back away, but Axel beckons me back toward the tree. He points down at the ground, and I notice a crimson path leading away from the foot of the tree.

"Blood," says Linen in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," I say. I begin walking at a fast pace away from the blood, and my allies immediately follow me. None of us want to be close to the tree, the symbol, or the blood.

Afraid of a possible mutt or trap, I arm myself with all of my weapons - my gun, my switchblade, and the lasso. I hold them in front of me. I have a feeling that any moment, some sort of muttation will come bursting behind some shrubbery and attack the three of us.

I push aside some large leaves blocking our path, and my jaw drops open. I step forward and allow the leaves to bounce back into position, smacking Axel in the face. I look around in awe. In all of the time we've spent exploring the forest, I've only seen trees, bushes, and one or two freaky animals that we've steered clear of. I didn't expect to see anything other than the rainforest in the arena, but I guess I was wrong.

We're standing in a clearing, where a large stone structure has been erected. I can only see the front, but I'm guessing it stretches further than just what I'm seeing. It's maybe two stories high, very mossy, and green. There are steps leading up to the building, which looks to be one or two stories, and there's an archway leading into darkness. On either side of the entrance, there's a statue of a person. However, both heads have been crudely broken off and are nowhere to be seen, so I can't see who it is.

"That's creepy," Linen mutters. I turn to look at her and Axel - Linen looks disgusted and possibly a bit nervous, but Axel is wearing an expression of awe.

"Let's go inside," I decide. Linen's head swivels to look at me.

"Are you joking?" she asks. "That place looks like a deathtrap!"

"The Gamemakers always put something in places like these."

"Yeah, a mutt!" she exclaims, looking completely exasperated.

"No, advantages. Remember last year's Hunger Games? The castle? Mika Jordan got that advantage after entering. She got those knights after winning the queen's challenge."

"Yes, but another girl died from that same challenge! What if we have to compete or something? You're going to lead us to our deaths, Hadley. First the bridge, and now this. Axel, back me up." Linen looks at Axel expectantly, but he just shrugs.

"Actually, I think Hadley's right. It may have some advantage we could really use later on," Axel says. Linen throws up her hands in surrender, then sits down on the ground.

"Go on in," she offers, still sounding mad. "But I'm not. I'll keep watch or something. If you guys die, it's not my fault."

"Okay. But we're not sharing our advantage with you," I shrug. I raise my hand to high-five Axel, but he doesn't notice. A little disheartened, I drop it. "Come on, let's go."

Axel and I walk up the green steps toward the darkness behind the archway. Axel now seems a little nervous, but he doesn't turn back. He pauses before entering but follows me after sees me continuing.

I hear Axel walking behind me and the noise of water dripping onto the floor. I can't see anything. I hold my switchblade in front of me, slightly nervous now that my vision is lost. I glance behind me and see Axel's silhouette against the brightness from outside. He's right behind me.

There's a small squeak and I hear Axel scream.

"Just a rat," I assure him, but I admit that my heartbeat quickened at the noise. Axel grabs onto my free hand and I clutch onto him tightly.

I take another step forward, but this time there's nothing to place my foot on. I wobble - there's no ground in front of me. One foot is on the slippery floor, and the other is hovering over what I can only assume is a hole in the floor. I rock back and forth, trying to regain my balance, and I think I'm about to, when Axel slips.

He's still holding tightly to my hand. My arm is quickly yanked downward with him and I feel my stomach leap into my stomach as he pulls me into the pit with him.

We're free-falling in the darkness. All I can hear is Axel screaming.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

I shoot a bolt at the final monkey, and it falls back in midair, only inches from Rachel's face. She clutches her chest with wide eyes as she stares at the monkey's corpse on the ground. We've finally picked off the last monkey, after hours of being chased by them. We both have decent cuts and scratches and one or two bite marks on our body, but we're both alive and neither of us are seriously injured.

We stand there, panting, for a moment. I'm surprised that we managed to survive - ecstatic, of course - but I thought we were goners. It was the first time in the Hunger Games when I was sure I was about to die. However, both Rachel and I are standing here, safe.

"We should probably find Yael and Arabella," I say through deep breaths, after I've faced the fact that I'm safe. Rachel nods.

"What direction did they go in?" she asks, looking around nervously. I look around, as well, and realize our problem. I have no idea where we are.

Rachel and I weren't exactly paying attention to landmarks when we were being chased by monkeys, but I doubt we could have even located them if we had. We've wandered into an area where the fog is so thick, I can barely see my own two feet. Rachel and I share a nervous look. How are we supposed to find our allies now?

Rachel clears her throat uncertainly. "Well, I think we came from that direction -" she starts, pointing in a direction that I can't distinguish from the rest. Her voice trails down, and then she switches her hand to the opposite direction. "Or maybe there."

"So…"

"So, we could be walking closer to them or even farther," Rachel confirms. I groan and collapse onto a rock. I can't believe our alliance has already been split in two. What in Panem's name are we supposed to do now?

Rachel sits down next to me and looks at the fog drifting past us. She's biting her lip, which I've discovered means she's thinking hard. I wish we hadn't gotten separated from Arabella and Yael, but I can't help but feel relieved that it's Rachel I'm with right now. I like my other allies, but Rachel is the one with the plans. It's comforting to know that Rachel can normally find something to do. Even if it isn't helpful, she can manage to find something that makes us feel like we're accomplishing something. Anything's better than just sitting on this rock and thinking about the danger we're in.

"Do the fallen tributes always appear over the Cornucopia?" she finally asks.

"I think so."

"Well, we can just wait until nightfall and see where the anthem is coming from. Then, we can walk in that direction."

"But then we'd be going right toward the Careers," I say.

"We wouldn't actually go into the Cornucopia. But if we can find the clearing, we can find which direction we originally went in and find where we were before getting attacked by the monkeys."

I think about this plan for a moment. It's not perfect - it will involve a lot of walking, and there's not even any guarantee that Arabella and Yael returned to the same place we were last night. But like I said before, it's better than sitting on a rock and thinking about the Hunger Games.

"What do you think?" Rachel asks.

"It's better than nothing," I shrug. Rachel nods.

"We'll start walking toward the Cornucopia as soon as we see the anthem - it's better we go at night, so most Careers will be asleep. Until then, we should probably just stay here and rest. You should probably try to get some sleep - I'll keep watch. It's not like we'll be getting the chance to sleep tonight."

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

I step forward in the passage, still holding onto Hadley. However, my foot doesn't connect with the ground. I let out a gasp as I begin falling forward. I wave my arms, trying to propel myself backwards, but it's no good. My other foot slips and suddenly I'm falling. My hand automatically tightens around Hadley's, hoping he may provide some stability and pull me back from the edge, but instead he topples with me.

My hand slips out of Hadley's; Hadley falls faster than I do and goes past. I scream, bracing myself for the inevitable impact. However, I manage to hear a splash over my yells. My ears perk up. Is that -

My train of thought is interrupted when I'm submerged in water. It's very cold, especially since I've gotten accustomed to the constant heat. I let out a gasp, and the freezing water fills my mouth. My arms and legs furiously kick me back to surface. Despite my soaking clothes weighing me down, my head breaks the surface. I spit the water out of my mouth and cough as my arms and legs struggle to keep me above the surface.

"Axel?" Hadley shouts.

"Here!" I say, as soon as the water has been expelled from my mouth.

It's no longer pitch-black, but still very difficult to make anything out. All I know is that Hadley and I are stuck in a pool with no visibly exits - just walls on all sides. The water seems to be glowing green, but not enough for me to see Hadley's face. I'm able to see a dark figure paddling over to me, though. I'm suddenly very grateful that Savanna made us practice swimming during training. It's too bad she didn't get to use this skill…

"Where do we go now?" I ask Hadley when he's next to me. He doesn't say anything at first and all I can hear is the both of us breathing heavily.

"I think there's a tunnel down there," Hadley finally says. I can't tell where he's gesturing to. Hadley taps my shoulder and points down into the water. Underwater is a hole in the wall, where the green light seems to be coming from. It looks to be about three feet in diameter. I guess the water isn't glowing after all.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"No," Hadley responds. "But we might as well find out. Otherwise, we'll just be trapped. Stay here, I'm going to find out if it leads somewhere. If it does, I'll come back and get you, 'kay?"

"Okay," I say. Hadley dives down. I keep my eyes on the glowing tunnel until I see a dark figure swim in front of it. Hadley paddles through the entrance until he disappears inside the tunnel. I wait for him, struggling to stay afloat. My violet leather jacket is weighing me down and the boots aren't exactly helping me kick. Every slight noise echoes off the walls.

If Hadley comes back and explains that there's nothing on the other side - or worse, he doesn't come back at all - I'm dead. I can't see where we fell from, even with the light. However, I assume it's much too high to attempt to climb. My arms are still stinging from where they smacked into the water, making me guess the fall was a considerable height.

I carefully kick over to one of the walls. I reach out my hand and brush it, seeing the texture. Is it possible to climb?

The wall is very slippery, almost slimy, and I quickly discover that it's _not_ possible to climb. Every time I attempt to scale the walls, by fingers immediately slide off and I go plunging back into the cold water.

After a few minutes of attempting to climb the walls, a loud splash fills the cavern. I let out a yelp in surprise and my hands slide off of the wall.

After returning to the surface, I turn and see Hadley treading water behind me. He's struggling to catch his breath, but manages to speak.

"Axel… there's a… another room past the tunnel. It leads somewhere," he pants. I nod in understanding. He beckons me to follow him, and as soon as we're both above the hole, he takes a huge gulp of air and dives down. I follow suit, swimming after him. I force my eyes open underwater, even though my eyes protest and keep trying to blink closed.

Through the green water, I can see Hadley swimming into the tunnel. Just before I enter, my claustrophobia acts up and my heart begins pounding. The tunnel isn't very wide, and I can't tell how far it stretches. What if it drowns before I exit? I'm already losing air.

Reluctantly, I follow Hadley through the tunnel. Instead of depending on my swimming ability, I use my hands to grasp the side of the tunnel and push myself through. Using this strategy, I manage to catch up to Hadley rather quickly. Still pushing my way through the tunnel, my lungs begin to strain. I need more oxygen… I've never been able to hold my breath for very long, especially in stressful situations.

Just when I'm about to turn back, Hadley reaches the end of the tunnel and disappears. I immediately follow, swimming to the edge of the tunnel and pushing myself back up to the surface.

My face hits the air and I relish all of the gulps of oxygen entering my lungs. It takes me a few moments to notice my surroundings.

We're in a similar room, but this time, there's an exit and light. The pool is small, and the water is just an inch or two below the edge. I can't see far past the room, but all there is, is a hallway lined with lit torches that leads somewhere. A sharp curve at the edge of the corridor limits my vision.

I see that Hadley has already pulled himself up to the edge, so I swim over to him. Upon seeing me, he outstretches a hand and helps yank me up onto the floor. Finally out of the water, I breathe a sigh of relief. The sturdy ground has never felt so amazing. Hadley gives me a few minutes to catch my breath before speaking.

"You're hat's missing," says Hadley. I feel the top of my head, and sure enough, there's no hat.

"Good," I reply, glancing at Hadley's dripping brown head. "You don't have one either." Hadley shrugs.

"We couldn't have really expected the hats to stay on, could we?"

"Nah," I laugh. I remember the launch, when I first saw my outfit. Immediately I stated I wanted to get rid of that ridiculous fedora we were forced to wear, but I was so busy concerned about staying alive, I forgot to ditch it the first chance I got. I _was_ pleased with the rest of my costume, though, even the boots -

I remember my leather shoes and look down in alarmed. The water-logged boots are likely doomed. Groaning, I yank both of them off and throw them aside. It sucks that I'm forced to lose shoes so soon. Now, the only things protecting my feet, are the thin socks that are currently soaking. I also shed my jacket, but I tie this around my waist. I can't afford to lose a jacket. Hadley noticed what I'm doing, and ditches his orange boots as well.

"Ready to go?" he asks, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes. I nod and we both stand up. I'm glad we left the knapsack with Linen, because otherwise, most of our supplies would be ruined. Hadley has his lasso and we both have our knives, but other than that, we don't have any supplies.

Hadley and I begin walking down the hallway. Water drips off the ceiling and onto the floor. The normally-quiet sound echoes throughout the empty place, making each _drip_ very noisy. Hadley and I walking have the same effect, where even our socked feet make a ruckus. At first I try to tiptoe, fearing there's something hidden in here, but then I realize that if it were, we'd be able to hear it as well.

Just before we reached the turn, Hadley stops and cleverly removes one of the torches from the wall. He holds it out in front of him like his own personal light to guide the way.

We both nervously creep around the first turn, expecting some kind of mutt waiting for us, but there's nothing there except for another hallway.

Hadley and I walk down the hallway for what feels like forever. Each time we come upon another turn, we expect a mutt or _anything_ , but it's just endless corridors. There's never even a fork in the path. It's not a maze, just endless walking.

Finally, we make a turn to the right and the hallway ends. The room is completely dark, which terrifies both of us. Hadley outstretches his torch to light the room, but it only does so much. The room is quite large, despite not having much. The light illuminates a bit, but it's not until we get close to the center that we see the only thing the room contains.

There's a small marble table smack-dab in the center of the room. Something's on it, but neither Hadley nor I can see what it is from this distance. We exchange a nervous look. It's likely this place is a trap. However, it could also contain something useful. Hadley begins to approach carefully, keeping an eye out for anything murderous that may pop out.

Hadley reaches the table without danger. He looks down at the table. After a moment, he gasps.

"Axel," he beckons. I quickly scamper over and stand next to him. I look at the surface of the table and let out a similar gasp.

On the table is a single gemstone, a small emerald about the size of a chicken egg. Normally, I wouldn't care. What use is an emerald in the Hunger Games? But underneath the stone, etched into the table, is this:

 _Welcome lucky tribute,_

 _You've discovered one of the three gems placed around the arena. This jewel could save your life - with this, you can survive the Hunger Games without having to win._

 _It is possible that four tributes survive this year; one victor and three survivors._

 _However, you must make it to the final five to be able to escape. If you're in possession of the jewel by then, go to the Cornucopia. There, you will be rescued via hovercraft and will be taken home. You won't receive glory or wealth or even a place in the Victor's Village, but you will live. You'll go back to your old life as though you never were in the Hunger Games._

 _If you're with an ally, be very careful who you select to take the jewel. It can not be transferred between tributes. The first person to touch it is the only one who can use it to escape… with one exception. If you kill the current possessor of the jewel, then you will be the new owner._

 _May the odds be ever in your favor!_

Hadley and I exchange a look after I finish reading. The reality sinks in - we could both go home! All three of us, as long as we find one other gem. Now the question is who gets this one.

I look at it nervously and lick my lips. The light from Hadley's torch bounces off the gem and sends green rays all over the room, including Hadley's face.

"You take it," Hadley finally says. I look at him in surprise.

"What?"

"You can have the emerald. I'll just win the Hunger Games, and then we can both go home," says Hadley.

"Are… are you sure?"

"My life in District 11… isn't that great. I love my brothers, but we don't have the best living conditions. I want to get us a house in the Victor's Village and endless riches," he says.

"But there's a much better chance of surviving with the gem, rather than just trying to win," I reason.

"I want you to have those odds," Hadley tells me. He nods toward the jewel. Reluctantly, I take it. It feels very smooth and cool in my hand. Carefully, I tuck it deep in my pocket. I definitely don't want to lose this.

Upon the removal of the stone, Hadley and I hear a loud rumbling sound. My head twists for the source of the noise, certain that we're both about to die - the stone was a trap and the whole place is about to collapse! But instead, it's just a door opening in the back of the room.

"Come on," Hadley smiles. "Let's get out of here and find Linen."

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

When Cecelia and Glitter finally emerge from the rainforest, I breathe a sigh of relief. I didn't hear any canons today, so I wasn't concerned that Cecelia might be dead (Glitter, I don't care about as much) but I just can't stand sitting alone with no one but Trajan and Vincent much longer. About an hour ago, Trajan wore Vincent down and got him to talk about the wolves and sheep theory. Vincent endured it for about ten minutes before declaring it was stupid, and they've ignored each other since.

Trajan then went to bugging me. I haven't given in and spoken to him yet, and I don't plan to. I'm very glad when Cecelia walks over and barks at him to leave me alone. He glares at her but does leave me alone. He slinks back and starts bugging Vincent, instead. Cecelia sits down next to me.

"How was hunting?" I ask her.

"Fine," she says at first, and then launches into a rant about Glitter that hints it was _not_ fine. "Glitter wouldn't shut up the entire time. I didn't know it was possible for anyone to talk that long. And we didn't accomplish anything - there weren't any tributes nearby, probably because Glitter scared them off by talking about District 2 and Vincent's abs." I stifle a laugh.

"She talked about Vincent's abs?" I ask, trying not to giggle.

"For about half an hour. Then she moved onto his biceps." Cecelia and I glance at Glitter, who's currently trying to join in on Trajan and Vincent's conversation. I notice with some amusement that Vincent is now willingly talking to Trajan, and I suspect he's only doing it so he doesn't have to talk to Cecelia. I whisper this observation in her ear and she laughs. "So he'd rather talk with Trajan than Glitter?" she considers this for a moment. "I can't blame him."

Cecelia tells me a bit more about Glitter's interests, which she has learned a lot about today, and we both laugh at her. I'm not going to lie, I was slightly intimidated by Glitter at first because she masquerades herself as a bloodthirsty, tough Career, but she's actually very concerned with the type of stuff that she pretends to scorn. She's more concerned with her looks than she initially introduced herself to be.

On the first day of training, Glitter literally said, "I may be attractive, but don't let that fool you. I'm a true Career and not afraid to get my hands dirty." But as soon as Vincent came along, she started being _extremely_ concerned with her looks and has not gotten her hands dirty yet.

After a while, we get tired of laughing at Glitter and conversation dies down. From where we're sitting, we have one of the only positions in the arena where we have a nice view of the sky. It's already turning pink, but some clouds are creeping in. It will probably rain again tonight.

"Do you think Glorian and Luc will be back soon?" I ask.

"Probably. They can't have wandered too far. And they aren't dead - we didn't hear any cannons," Cecelia responds dismissively. I still feel slightly concerned, though. I've gotten attached to Luc, despite my earlier dislike of him, and don't want to see him dead. He's beginning to feel like a brother.

Damn. I didn't want to get attached to anyone in the Hunger Games. But I've already gotten close with both Luc and Cecelia and would hate seeing either of them die. Staying detached in the Hunger Games is much easier in theory.

I look to my right at Cecelia, who is studying me with her large brown eyes. I feel slightly uncomfortable.

"He'll be back soon," she assures me.

"I know," I mutter, "but it's still… there's still a possibility that he won't. That he and Glorian are trapped somewhere out in the jungle and are close to death. Maybe they fell in a pit or something or got attacked by a snake with paralyzing poison. Just because they aren't dead yet, doesn't mean they're not about to die."

"That's true," Trajan calls loudly from behind me. Cecelia and I both jump. Trajan and his large nose are looming over my shoulder. Cecelia pushes him away; not too violently, but enough that his greasy brown hair is no longer about to drip on me. "Luc's probably about to die. He's a sheep, and sheep always get slaughtered by the wolves."

"Leave us alone, sheep," Cecelia tells him. At first, I think calling Trajan a sheep is a dumb insult, but he looks genuinely angry.

"I'm not a sheep," he hisses through clenched teeth. Cecelia grins, aware that she's just struck gold.

"No? But wolves have to be clever. So you can't be a wolf. Maybe you're the grass?" Cecelia suggests. I'm starting to get lost in this argument, but both Cecelia and Trajan continue to bicker like children.

"That's not a thing! There isn't grass, grass can't think!"

"That's why you're the grass."

"I can think."

"Is that a new skill you've learned in the past minute? Because you haven't presented this ability thus far."

"You have to think to be able to talk, it's logic. So maybe you can't think! Maybe you're the grass!" Trajan shouts. Cecelia raises an eyebrow.

"Oh? So… I can't think because apparently you have to think to speak." Trajan nods. "But I'm speaking right now." Trajan's face falls.

This is stupid. I glance up, trying to ignore Trajan and Cecelia, but happen to see two people emerging from the trees. I stand up expectantly, just as Glorian and my District partner step into view. Neither is injured, and Luc is even grinning.

He rushes over to the Cornucopia quickly. Just as I predicted, water has begun to fall and is getting his dark hair wet. I'm pleased to see him, but back up into the Cornucopia before greeting him. I don't want to be soaked when I'm trying to sleep tonight. It's difficult to dry off in this arena and I'm worried my skin will be constantly pruned.

"Cecelia, get in here!" I shout. Cecelia and Trajan haven't seemed to noticed that it's raining, they're so caught up in their conversation. Cecelia hears me and glares at Trajan before running into the Cornucopia, shaking the water out of her dirty blonde hair.

Luc enters after her, still grinning.

"We got lost," he explains. "Glorian said that we'd probably have to sleep out there overnight, but then a compass was delivered to us and we were able to find our way back."

"Did you get any food?" Vincent asks hopefully. Just as he does, Glorian enters, holding a bloody rabbit in each hand.

"Yeah," Glorian says, presenting the rabbits. "Unfortunately, we won't be able to cook them tonight. I don't want to start a fire in the Cornucopia, and we wouldn't be able to find any dry firewood right now, anyway. We'll have to wait until tomorrow." Glorian sets both rabbits down on a crate, and wipes his blood-stained hands off on his pants.

"Don't get your pants all bloody!" Luc complains. "Go wash them in the rain."

To my surprise, Glorian agrees and runs out of the Cornucopia to get the blood off.

"Does this mean we can have some fruit?" Cecelia asks.

"I guess," Glorian groans from outside the Cornucopia. No one else is disappointed, though, and we all dive for the fruit baskets Glorian has stashed away at the back. Cecelia, Luc, and I share one and begin snacking at the contents. I don't realize how hungry I was until I bite into an apple. Glorian forbade us to eat anything after breakfast today, so I'm operating on a mostly empty stomach.

However, when Glorian reenters, he's pissed.

"Why are you guys eating from all three baskets?" he demands.

"...Because there's seven of us?" Glitter says. To my surprise, Cecelia immediately takes Glorian's side.

"Sorry, Glorian," she says. Turning to the rest of us, she says, "We shouldn't eat the rest of our food yet. This is all we have left, besides the rabbit. We should only eat from one basket tonight."

Cecelia and Glorian take away the baskets held by Trajan, and Glitter and Vincent.

"We'll eat another one tomorrow, but only if it's still wet and we can't cook the rabbits," Glorian says. We all gather in a circle around the single basket as Cecelia begins to split up the fruit and hand out meager portions to everyone. The moment of relief we all felt is quickly replaced as we begin nibbling at our limited food.

We probably look like the most pathetic Careers ever as we snack on half an apple each. It's Day 2, and we're already starving. I knew the Hunger Games would be hard, but I didn't think lack of food would be an issue. Careers usually don't go hungry until after they split. I guess this year is different. And the 'Hunger' Games starve everyone, not only outer District tributes.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Yael Harident**

* * *

The anthem begins to play, but I ignore it. Yesterday, it was very important to watch so I could see who had died in the Bloodbath, but there weren't any deaths today. Arabella watches the sky, anyway.

We're sitting on a log under a tree, but we're still getting slightly wet. The rain is falling heavier than it did earlier, so I'm guessing sleeping will be difficult tonight. It's usually warm here, but tonight it's gotten into the chilly zone. The fact that my clothes are wet doesn't help the temperature, either. The anthem finishes and Arabella looks at me.

"Do you think we should go back to where we were last night? You know, before the monkeys attacked us?" she asks.

"In the morning," I say dismissively. Honestly, I doubt they're back where we were prior to the monkey attack. They probably got lost in the middle of the jungle and have no way of knowing where they are. But the voice is telling me I should listen to Arabella, and share her opinions - unless they lead me straight to death. I want to appear innocent and friendly, like her, even if I look dumb. It's better to appear dumb, rather than smart, even if your allies have low opinions of you.

Arabella nods, and curls up around the base of the tree. I'm expecting that neither of us will be able to sleep for several hours, but Arabella begins to snore almost immediately. Annoyed, I curl up into a ball beside her, trying to tune her out.

My eyes flicker to her unconscious form. I could kill her right now… Tristana and Rachel would never know. My hands are reaching for my knife when the voice enters my head.

 _No. Don't kill her yet._

I'm torn. I don't want to kill her, but my body wants to, but the voice doesn't want to, at least not yet. Who do I listen to? My body acts on its own accord, grabbing the knife and holding it poised above Arabella's head. She sleeps, completely unaware of what I'm about to do. I get ready to plunge the knife into -

 _NO!_

The voice is so loud my knife falls, landing in the dirt inches from Arabella's head. The voice continues to shout in my brain, so loud it hurts and I can't think of anything else. I clap my hands over my ears, but what good does that do? It's coming from inside me. No matter that, I tighten the hold on my ears and squirm on the ground.

I can't ignore the voice. I can't do anything. I want to scream, but instead I bite my lip so hard I taste coppery blood. The voice continues shouting until I pass out and everything goes dark.

* * *

 **No deaths on Day 2… sorry (or your welcome, I don't know if you're pleased or not).**

 **I have some questions this time! They aren't worth points, but I'm still curious about the answers so I'd like if you answered them in the reviews.**

 **1\. What do you think of the twist? (the jewels and survivors, if you don't know what I'm referring to). Just a quick warning - I probably won't end up letting four tributes escape, but one or two may…**

 **2\. Now that more than one tribute can survive, who would ideally live? Who would you like the Victor to be, and which tributes (if any) would you like to survive?**

 **3\. Do you think Rachel's alliance will reunite?**

 **Also, I forgot to address this last chapter - I know killer monkeys is pretty cliche, but it makes sense considering the arena and they're used a lot for a reason, so… don't be surprised if they show up.**

 **Finally, the poll is actually on my profile now. I had it set up last time, but then I stupidly forgot to display it on my profile. A few people have already voted, but if you haven't, then please do so now. It's definitely on there now - I just checked.**

 **\- Lilah**


	39. Dara Bayard I

**Yep, I'm posting this about an hour after Part 2. I can be lazy, but sometimes I'll spam your inbox.**

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Dara Bayard**

* * *

As I try to fall asleep, I quietly curse Chance. And then I curse myself because I technically know it's not Chance's fault.

I want to be back home in District 7, but instead, I'm trying to fall asleep in the Capitol in this overly comfortable bed and trying to fall asleep to the celebration outside my window.

After Zaira died, I immediately packed up my things to return home to the Victor's Village. Mentors are allowed to stay in the Capitol until the crowning, but mostly leave after their tributes die. A lot of us can't stand being stuck in the Capitol this time of year, especially when we can no longer help our tribute. But right when I was about to leave, Chance came up to me and begged I stay and help him.

Surprised by his sudden humility, I caved in and decided to stay. I'm starting to regret it, though. Chance told me he needed help getting sponsors, but he's not having any trouble. People are lining up to sponsor the mysterious, attractive boy from District 7. It makes me question why he even insisted I stayed in the first place.

Sighing, I roll out of bed. I'm not even close to falling asleep, so I should probably just give up trying. It's not like I need to do anything tomorrow, anyway. I'll probably get a cup of tea or try to find a channel that _isn't_ playing the Hunger Games live. I exit my room and step into the hallway. Chance's room is silent, which I find as odd. He's usually a very loud snorer. Perhaps he can't sleep either.

I consider entering and seeing whether he'd like me to make him a cup of tea as well, but decide against it.

I walk into the kitchen, which is completely empty. I quickly make myself a cup of herbal tea that's supposed to help with sleeping and curl up on the couch. I take heavy sips, not caring that it's scalding my tongue. I take the remote and begin flipping through the channels.

Every single channel shows the Hunger Games. I continue clicking through the channels, trying to find _anything_ besides the Hunger Games.

 _Click_. The Careers sleeping.

 _Click_. Yael and Arabella sleeping.

 _Click_. Lennox trying to sleep.

 _Click_. Tristana and Rachel walking through the jungle.

 _Click_. Dennis following Lennox's path.

 _Click_. Hadley and Linen sleeping, Axel keeping watch.

 _Click_. A map of the arena, showing where each tribute is.

 _Click_. Back to the Careers.

I sigh and turn off the television. It doesn't look like I'll be able to find anything else, even though nothing interesting is even happening in the arena right now.

I swallow the rest of my tea in a single gulp. It hasn't helped me feel sleepy at all. I sit in silence on the couch for a moment, then decide to get some fresh air.

I'm technically allowed to go anywhere I want now that my tributes are no longer here, but I don't want to go out in the street. I'm not a super recent Victor, but with all of the Hunger Games fanatics running about the streets, I'm sure to get recognized. Instead, I head up to the only place of refuge in the Capitol - the roof.

I ride the elevator up and step out onto the roof. It's warm and I can smell all of the flowers. There isn't any wind today, which is nice. However, when the doors slide closed I hear mumbled chatting from somewhere on the roof.

Curious, I head toward the voices. I walk on my toes, nearly silent. It's a skill I picked up in my Hunger Games, and I haven't been able to drop it since. No one ever hears me approaching.

The voices are coming from behind a bunch of plants. I turn the corner and see two people whispering urgently.

"Chance?" I ask. Both jump in surprise. Chance is still wearing is 'pajamas', which for Chance, basically means just his underwear or occasionally flannel pants. Thankfully, he's wearing the flannel pants tonight. He still doesn't have a shirt on, though, and his tan chest is completely visible. He's talking to a disheveled woman who I've never seen before. I can see a small tattoo poking out from underneath her shirt and she has a purple streak in her hair, but that's the only alteration she seems to have. For some reason, I immediately dislike her. "What are you doing up here?" I ask suspiciously. Chance splutters, then looks to the woman for help.

"You're Dara Bayard, aren't you?" she asks. I nod suspiciously. She waves me over. "I suppose you should hear this as well. I'm Victoria Brade, and I know for a fact that both of you are in danger."

"What are you talking about?" I ask. I glance at Chance, who's standing much straighter now with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out. "Why are you standing like that?" I ask him.

"Standing like what?" he asks but drops his hands from his hips.

"What makes you think we're in danger?" I ask Victoria Brade.

"I work for Alexandros Divine," she explains. "My job is complicated, so I won't go into it, but I'm one of the people who have a lot of access to confidential information. I'm sure you both know about the rebel attack -" Chance and I both nod. "Well, Divine believes that more rebels are out there. The whole story is complicated, but long story short - he's been torturing people who he believes are rebels or have information regarding these so-called rebels. He has a list of people he's suspicious about, and it includes several notable Victors."

"But… Chance and I aren't rebels!" I exclaim.

"But he thinks you are. Or, he thinks you know who some rebels are," she says. "You weren't some of his higher targets at first, but he's been crossing more and more people off the list. You guys are approaching the top rapidly. I have the list in my pocket…" She begins digging around in her pocket for the list. I glance at Chance. He raises his eyebrows at me and shrugs. I don't think he's taking this seriously enough.

Victoria pulls out a folded piece of paper and hands it to Chance. I grab it before he can. He leans over my shoulder and watches carefully as I unfold it.

The list mostly contains a lot of names I don't recognize, but there are some familiar names. The list contains about forty people, but the top fifteen or so have been crossed off.

"He's been adding more people, so this isn't up to date, but you guys are in the same place," Victoria explains.

Chance's name is at number 29. I also see Malakai Mavericks (24), Klare Manner (30), and even Tiernan Briastos (38). But the most surprising name is Leda Dashlon, the Head Gamemaker. She's at 40th, but I'm surprised she'd cause some suspicion.

"Is Leda Dashlon really a rebel?" Chance asks.

Victoria shakes her head. "I doubt it."

"Where am I?" I ask, scanning the bottom of the list. Victoria points much higher than I've been looking, and my stomach drops. At 20 is Dara Bayard. "I thought you said I wasn't high on the list!'"

"20 isn't very high," she responds.

"It is when everyone less than sixteen has been crossed off!" I exclaim. Victoria shrugs. I look back at my name, alarmed. There are only four names higher than mine. The only one I recognize is Dakota Pollock, the mentor from District 10. She's one higher than me. I glance at Chance. It's not reassuring that he's taking this seriously now. "How fast do people get crossed off?"

"It depends," Victoria responds, very unhelpfully.

"How fast?" Chance shouts, angrily. Victoria looks surprised at his outburst.

"Well, I don't know exactly, but -" Chance glares at her. "But I'd predict you have about fifteen days before they come for you."

I gulp and look down at my feet nervously.

"What can we do?" Chance says.

"I'm planning something, I'll have to let you know," Victoria says. She snatches the list out of my hands and takes out a lighter. She quickly burns the list.

"Let's go inside," I say to Chance. He nods and gently places his hand on my back to guide me over to the elevator. My head's spinning in shock. I nearly trip over a vine, but Chance catches me.

I definitely won't be able to sleep tonight.

* * *

 **I'm assuming you understand that this is the woman who spoke to Malakai, but if not… this is the woman who spoke to Malakai.**

 **Don't forget to review! Just because these chapters are shorter and don't feature tributes, they're still very important to read and review.**

 **\- Lilah**


	40. Day 3: Part 1: Still Smiling

**Sorry for not getting this posted sooner. I had a valid excuse at first, and then I got lazy. Last week, a bunch of the power in my region got shut off to avoid fires so I couldn't write. Then they turned it back on and I was too lazy to write.**

 **Most of these POVs are pretty short, but some are way longer than I expected. I got carried away with a few.**

 **I know I should probably proofread this, but I think we all know by now that it isn't going to happen. I need to leave for school soon, anyway, and I want to post this before I leave.**

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

I feel guilty as I reach into my pocket and hold my emerald tightly. It's very comforting to have it in my hand. I'm terrified I'll somehow lose it. And if that were to happen, then Hadley and I couldn't survive together. It would be one or the other. I bite my lip. I couldn't kill Hadley. And I know he wouldn't kill me. But Linen would.

Linen wouldn't betray us for the sake of betrayal - but she probably wouldn't hesitate to kill one of us if it meant her own life. And if it could help her greatly, then she may calculate it and come to the conclusion to kill us.

I'm talking about the jewel. And how if she discovered I had it, she might kill me in order to obtain it. Hadley and I both agreed on that. We like Linen, and we're pretty sure she likes us, but she's not as… trustworthy as us. Hadley and I wouldn't dream of killing our allies for our personal gain, but Linen probably would.

Which is why we decided not to tell her about the jewel. Hadley's hoping we can find another one for her, that way we don't have to be concerned about her stealing mine, but until then it's a secret.

I look around the crude shelter we constructed last night. Hadley is curled up in the corner, holding tightly onto his weapons, as is Linen. I had the last guard shift, and I'm guessing it's coming to a close. However, I don't want to wake Hadley or Linen up yet. Hadley told me to, so we could get a head start on the day, but I think it would be better to let them sleep.

There aren't a lot of opportunities to sleep in the Hunger Games, and it's going to be a long day.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Rachel Ivy**

* * *

Tristana and I are hiking through the jungle when we come across a clearing. We immediately stop dead in our tracks.

"Is this it?" Tristana whispers, and I immediately shush her. We tiptoe closer to the clearing until the only thing between us and the clearing is a thick tree which we hide behind. Carefully, and as quietly as I can manage, I poke my head out from behind the tree to look into the clearing.

Sure enough, we've reached the Cornucopia. The golden horn is shockingly bright - I suppose my eyes have become accustomed to the darkness of the jungle. Unfortunately, the Careers are still occupying it. I do a quick tally and realize that all seven Careers have inhabited it. The clearing isn't too large, so we can hear a lot of what they're saying if we strain our ears.

The big guy from District 2 is giving orders right now. I can only make out bits of what he's saying, but it sounds like the Careers are going to go hunting soon and he's splitting them into pairs.

"Is that Vincent?" I hear Tristana whisper. I angrily press my finger to my lips to remind her to shut up, but she's not looking at me. "If they leave Vincent in charge of the supplies, maybe we could go over and talk to him. He could give us some supplies or even come with us."

"Are you insane?" I hiss, giving up attempting to remain silent.

"He's nice. And he didn't want to be part of the Careers. I'm sure we could convince him to ditch them -"

" _No_ ," I say. "Even if he did want to join our alliance, we'd just be inviting the Careers to hunt us down. We have to stay under their radar. Now be quiet."

I look back at the Cornucopia, and to my alarm, the boy from District 7 is making eye contact with me. He quickly tears his gaze away and turns back to the District 2 boy.

Quickly following this incident, in which my heart nearly stopped, the Careers begin to leave the Cornucopia in pairs. The boys from 1 and 4 walk in the opposite direction of us, looking quite unhappy with the pairing and the District 2 boy (who I've pegged as the leader) walks with the girl from District 1 toward the jungle somewhere to our left. To Tristana's disappointment, _Vincent_ and the girl from 2 walk off, leaving the District 4 female in charge of the supplies. To _my_ disappointment, 7 and 2 are walking directly at us.

Afraid that Tristana will want to say hello, I yank her back, away from the route 7 and 2 seem to be taking. We hide behind a tree, not even breathing, as they pass. Thankfully, they don't notice us and walk right on by.

"All right, where should we go now?" Tristana asks when they're completely out of our sight. I stand up and tiptoe back to the clearing. I look around and groan when I see which direction we must go in. "What?"

"After the Bloodbath, we left in the opposite direction of the mouth of the Cornucopia. Which means we're going that way," I explain, pointing in the required direction. Tristana gulps when she realizes the problem.

"You mean exactly where Glorian and Cecelia went?"

"Yes."

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

"Do you think it's going to rain today?" Cecelia asks. I shrug.

"Probably. I hope it doesn't kick in this evening, though, because I really want to cook the rabbits," I reply. I look up at the sky nervously, but to my relief, it's not cloudy yet. We're in a part of the arena where the trees are more sparse, so we have a decent view of the sky. Sunlight fills our path, so we don't have to worry about tripping on anything, as long as we keep one eye on the ground.

Cecelia and I don't talk for a while, simply keeping an eye out for other tributes and such. Our silence is partly due to the fact that we want to sneak up on any tributes that may be nearby, and partially because we have no idea what to say to each other. I consider asking Cecelia about her home life in District 1, but decide against it. It will probably sound forced and cliche, anyway.

We take a large step over a fallen tree, but when lifting my second leg over, my red boot gets snagged on a stick.

"Damn," I mutter as I try to shake it loose. I turn around to face the way we came, and for a second, I think I see a tribute behind a tree. It looks like a flash of violet before disappearing. I stop bothering with the shoe and focus on what may or may not be a tribute, but I can't see them anymore.

"What?" Cecelia asks. She's standing beside the log, waiting for me.

"What District is wearing purple? Do you remember?" I ask her, referring to our jackets and boots, which are different colors depending on our District. Cecelia's wearing white (which is now more of a light brown) and I'm wearing red. Cecelia shrugs.

"I don't know."

"District 8, maybe?"

"No, they're wearing indigo," Cecelia says. "Why are you asking? Did you see someone wearing purple?"

"I thought I did… it may have just been a trick of the light, or a mutt or something, though."

"Go check," Cecelia insists. I jump back over the tree, unsnagging my shoe in the process, and head over to the tree I saw something disappear behind. I poke my head around it, but there's nobody there. "Well?"

"Nothing," I call back, slightly embarrassed that I made such a big deal out of it.

"Then let's get going!" Cecelia shouts. I rush back over to her. This time, I pay special attention not to get stuck on the log. We continue through the forest.

* * *

As we trek through the jungle, the trees and plants gradually become denser until we can barely see the sky. We've had to slow our pace considerably to prevent tripping over roots or stepping on anything like snakes or other dangerous creatures that may be crawling around the forest floor.

"I think I see something," Cecelia mutters, pushing away a group of vines dangling in front of our path. I squint in the direction she's looking in and see what could possibly be a structure a little ways away. It's off our path, to the right.

"Should we go see what it is?" I ask. Cecelia shrugs, but we both change our route to head toward the structure. The ground has become wilder, and Cecelia and I have to be careful not to snag our feet in any of the vines snaking around the floor. There are also many vines hanging from the tree branches, which keep getting in our way. Sick of having to brush the vines our of my face every two seconds, I begin to use my sword to chop them away. Cecelia follows suit, and soon we've created a path behind us filled with severed vines.

We reach an opening in the trees, where they suddenly part and reveal a very small clearing mostly filled with a large, mossy building. It's very tall and seems old. There are stone ruins littering the ground around it, suggesting some of it had collapsed at some point. I quickly correct myself - we've only been in the arena for three days, so they were definitely placed there by the Gamemakers. The stone structure has some moss, but is mostly covered with those damn vines. There are many windows and possible entrances, but the clear doorway is the giant arch in the center of the building.

"Should we go in?" Cecelia asks me.

"I don't know," I mutter. "It might be dangerous."

"The whole arena is dangerous," Cecelia reasons. "But there may be something useful in there. Gamemakers don't place random landmarks in the arena for no reason."

"But do the risks outweigh the rewards?"

"I don't know," Cecelia shrugs. "You're the leader. What do you say?" I nearly miss the subtle sarcasm in her tone. For a moment, I'm offended, but when I look at her, there's no malice in her gaze. I'm just going to assume she's joking because the alternative would cause tension I don't want to deal with so early in the Hunger Games.

"Let's go in," I decide. "But we need to keep an eye out."

Cecelia nods and we both walk toward the entrance slowly. I stay on my toes, ready to flee or fight at the first sign of trouble, but nothing out of the ordinary happens as we enter. After climbing a few stone steps, we reach the main archway. I peer inward, but it's impossible to see anything in the darkness.

"Wow, that's dark," Cecelia whistles.

"Do you still want to enter?" I ask her, slightly unsure. Walking blind isn't something that appeals to me, even if it could help me in the long run. However, Cecelia nods.

"There will be light in there," she states with surprising confidence. When I look surprised, she explains, "the Gamemakers wouldn't have anything exciting be impossible to film. They have night-vision cameras, but they have bad quality and the Capitol will want to have a good view if there's anything in there waiting to kill us. Either it will be safe, or there will be decent lighting at the dangerous part."

"Okay…" I say, still unsure. However, when Cecelia tentatively steps inside, I follow close behind. When I realize she's ahead of me, I speed up a bit until I'm walking next to her. I don't want to look like a coward by hiding behind Cecelia. I hold my sword in front of me, but it's not much use since I can't see a single thing except the doorway from where we just entered.

I wish the Gamemakers gave us new, decent weapons because then the reflection might have provided us with a bit of light. But both of our swords are old and rusted. They work, but there's no light shining off of them. I can't rely on them to brighten my path.

All I can hear is our echoed footsteps and our heavy breathing. One set of footsteps suddenly stops, and I pause, concerned. I'm about to ask why Cecelia stopped when I see a glint of silver. Cecelia holds out her dagger, and I can see a bit of her face. The light from the doorway reflects off of the dagger's shiny surface (it's actually new, despite the swords' age). I silently applaud her thinking. I don't have a dagger I can use, but I didn't manage to think of using one.

Cecelia moves closer to me so I can see the light from the dagger as well, and our path is slightly lit. It only shines enough to light a few feet ahead of us, so we can't see what's coming, but it's better than nothing.

Cecelia and I walk a bit further, then come to a direct stop when the ground suddenly stops. There's a giant hole in the center of the floor that we definitely would have fallen in, had we not had the dagger to see. Thank God for the dagger. At first, I think it's going to be a direct drop down that would kill instantly, but when I look over the edge, I see a pool of water several yards below. It doesn't look like a dangerous drop, but there's no visible way out.

I'm glad we didn't drop.

The hole is only in the center of the hallway. There's about two feet of pathway left on either side which leads to the full path again. Cecelia and I shuffle along the edge carefully, clutching the wall. It's not a super skinny walkway, but the ground is slightly slippery and we can afford to be careful in this situation. My fingers dig into the cracks in the bricks as I slide along. Cecelia is in front of me and reaches the other side first. I stand next to her slightly after.

We walk a few feet before the path sharply curves to the right. We continue following it, but unfortunately, the dagger isn't doing much good anymore. We're so far from the entrance, barely any light is reflecting against the blade of the dagger.

Cecelia pockets her dagger, sighing when she realizes after we make the turn, the dagger is completely useless. I suppose we couldn't depend on it forever. We walk along the corridor, and now there's no light at all. I'm walking slightly ahead of Cecelia, so I'm the first to crash into the wall of vines.

They're not just dangling from the ceiling anymore. Now they've been weaved together to form a tough wall that would be difficult to get through if we didn't have weapons. I easily use my sword to cut a path through the vines. Immediately after breaking them down, my vision is flooded with light.

I blink in surprise. My vision had gotten accustomed to the darkness and the sudden brightness is shocking. I gradually open my eyes, slowly adjusting. When I'm used to light again, I can see that the next corridor, the one behind the wall of vines, is lined with many torches.

"This is the dangerous part, isn't it?" I ask Cecelia. She gulps and nods.

* * *

We debate for a moment, then decide to continue through the path. After all, we're armed and can see what we're doing now. I take a few steps forward and shout in shock as two arrows shoot from a small hole in the wall. I leap back at the last second, and the arrows miss me by inches. They embed themselves in the stone wall to my left.

"Be careful," I warn Cecelia. I look down at the ground and see that the foot-wide brick I've stepped on has lowered a few inches into the ground, creating a sizable indent in the floor. "It looks like they're pressure plates," I note. "If we step on them, there's a trap that will likely kill us."

"How are we supposed to get by without stepping on them?" Cecelia asks. I consider this, but after a few moments, it's Cecelia who has an answer. "The Gamemakers probably set it up so some are trapped and others are safe. In order to figure out which are dangerous, and which are not, we can throw things on them."

"Like what?" I ask.

"I don't know," she shrugs. A second later, she groans and smacks her forehead. "Oh! Remember all of those scraps in the Cornucopia that we deemed useless? This was probably their purpose - or one them, at least. We could have used those coins or sandbags to figure out which bricks are safe."

"Huh," I say. Then my face splits into a smile at my small victory. "I was right! Remember? I said that they had to have a purpose, while the rest of you kept wanting to throw them out! Thanks to me, they're still in the Cornucopia." Cecelia frowns.

"Well, that doesn't do us much good now, does it? Besides, Trajan still wasted most of them. He created some stupid game with the sandbags and coins to entertain himself…" her voice trails off. I can't help but feel slightly peeved that Trajan disobeyed my reasonable instructions, but I can't worry about that now. Instead, I slip off my red shoe and throw it at a nearby brick. Nothing happens.

"This one looks safe," I decide, hopping upon it. Cecelia follows. We're now both standing precariously on a brick that's only about a square foot. " _Wait_ ," I tell her.

"Sorry."

I toss my shoe at another brick and this one stays firm as well. I leap onto it while Cecelia stays on the other brick, heeding my instructions. I throw my shoe at another brick, and once again, it's safe. As I leap onto the new brick, Cecelia takes my place on the old.

I'm beginning to feel quite lucky. How awesome would it be if we managed to get all the way across without facing any trouble? Immediately after thinking this, however, the brick I've thrown my shoe at sinks a few inches and a space opens on both sides of the walls. Fire shoots out from both side in overwhelming heat, burning exactly where I would have been had I stepped onto that brick. My proximity cause my face to feel the burn, as well. It's nearly painful, and I'm considering hopping back a few bricks, when it stops.

I groan - I doubt I'll be able to grab that shoe again - and I reluctantly remove my other shoe. I toss it onto another brick, and to my dismay, this one sinks as well. I wait for something to shoot out of the walls, but instead, the brick sinks lower into the ground until there's a gaping hole.

Nothing happens for a few seconds, and I get ready to throw something else upon another brick, when a hissing snake launches itself out of the hole. It flies a few feet into the air and lands a few bricks away. I hold my breath as it glides along the brick and looks around. I immediately recognize it as a rattlesnake, and my body freezes. What do I do? If I stay here, it may bite me, but I could get into danger if I step onto another brick.

The rattlesnake sits up and begins looking from Cecelia and I, as if decided which it should attack first.

"Stay still and don't blink," I advise Cecelia through tight lips. She immediately disregards my instructions. When the snake looks in her direction, she runs across the rest of the bricks at a shocking side. "Cecelia!" I shout in alarm, but even though she's stepping on multiple sinking plates, she's going so fast, the traps are missing her. She reaches the other side without harm. The snake launches itself at her, but somehow, it gets caught in a delayed arrow.

One of the bricks Cecelia stepped on was slightly slow and the arrow didn't shoot until now. It's incredible luck that it managed to strike the snake in mid-air and pin it against the wall.

"Wow," I mutter in awe. Cecelia waves me across, and I follow her lead by running across all bricks. The only close calls I get are when I nearly trip, and when another fire trap singing the back of my head. It doesn't hurt, but I smell the unmistakable scent of cooked hair. My nose raises in disgust and I wince. I keep forgetting that's it still broken, and I have to stop moving it.

I reach the ground, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Well, that's one way to cross," I shrug. Cecelia takes one look at my face and bursts into laughter. "What?" I ask.

"Your… eyebrows," she gasps through giggles.

"What about them?" I pat my face, trying to feel what the issue may be.

"The fire must have burnt them off," she explains, beginning to regain her composure. "They're almost completely gone."

I try looking at my reflection in my sword, but the rusted blade is no good. Cecelia offers me her dagger, which I gratefully take. I angle the blade carefully so I can see my face reflected back, and sure enough, my eyebrows have been reduced to extremely short strands of hair that barely count as eyebrows.

"What about the back of my head?" I ask, nervously, remembering the incident as I was running through the hallway. Cecelia moves around so she's behind me. "Well?"

"Yep, your hair's pretty short back here. It almost looks like you have a bald patch."

I reach my hand back and carefully touch the hair on the back of my head. It's short and spiky. Without warning, I burst into laughter. Cecelia joins in. We continue laughing as we walk down the rest of the corridor.

The hallway takes a sharp left, and then the corridor changes into a large, cavernous room. Despite the space, all that's occupying it is a decent-sized statue of a tall man with a mane of curly hair. At his feet is a small pedestal in the center where something red seems to be glowing.

"Should we go see what it is?" I ask.

"I don't know…" Cecelia says. "What if it's a trap?"

As if on cue, a large beast jumps out from a corner and strides toward us, snarling. The jaguar doesn't look friendly.

"Well, there's the trap," I mutter under my breath.

* * *

 **District 8**

 **Linen Baird**

* * *

"There hasn't been any rain today," Axel notes cheerfully. He's been dreading another downpour ever since he and Hadley returned from the building yesterday, missing shoes and hats. I was immediately pleased with my decision to stay outside because it's not a good idea to go trekking around a jungle with nothing but a pair of thin socks covering your feet.

"I wouldn't depend on the rest of the day being clear," I say. "It will likely rain at least once before the sun goes down."

Axel frowns, but doesn't respond.

I duck under a low-hanging branch as we continue walking. I'm actually leading our trio for once. Hadley and Axel are following me, and Hadley isn't even complaining about the pace. I'm glad he finally came to his senses and realized the ridiculousness of his paranoia. The jungle is so large and dense, the chances of someone finding us is tiny. It seems like all of the other outer District tributes are having equally good luck, because no canons went off yesterday.

So far, my biggest issue has been hygiene. We've had a bit of drinking water (which is almost gone, now) but we haven't come across a water supply. Which means we haven't had the opportunity to bathe. My hair has become extremely greasy and matted, despite my stylist putting it in braids. The humidity and heat have made it so that all three of us are constantly sweating. My skin feels sticky and gross. And the best part of all - I'm covered in small bug bites. Luckily, Axel did the poisonous bugs station in training so he's identified the bites as harmless. However, they still itch and are extremely annoying.

The worst part is the smell. Axel (bless his heart) barely smells at all, but Hadley and I are terrible. I'm pretty bad, but I've completely given up being within five feet of the boy from 9. My desire to take a bath, even in a dirty pond, is what's driving me to hike. Before, I would have preferred to lay down in one place, but now I have a reason to walk. Even if Hadley suggests we settle down, I'll force the boys to continue walking.

"Linen, can we slow down? My feet -"

" _No_ ," I demand, cutting off Axel. He frowns and glances down at his socked feet. The socks are covered in holes and I can see several scratches. However, I feel no sympathy. I _warned_ them not to go in the temple. They insisted and came out with nothing but soaked clothes and missing clothes (though, I am slightly envious they got to be submerged in water and wash off a bit of the dirt covering them).

Hadley groans. "Linen, we don't have shoes! Walking all day is incredibly painful and -"

"Then you should hope for a sponsor," I say with a tone of finality. I turn to continue walking, but Hadley immediately grabs my sleeve and yanks me back. "Hey!" I shout indignantly, but he shushes me.

"I think I heard someone." His turquoise eyes dart around nervously, filled with paranoia once again.

"Hadley…" I begin, but he claps his hand around my mouth. I'm about to push him away, but then I hear a branch snap. It sounds like a human walking, and it definitely wasn't Axel. I don't bother hitting Hadley's hand away, even though I wouldn't dare make a noise now. I look around us.

The direction of the sound is difficult to tell, but it seems close. The area we're in right now is very dense, with many tall plants that make it nearly impossible to see past our small circle. Hadley pulls me behind a tree, still covering my mouth. Axel's chest is heaving in terror, though I thankfully can't hear him breathing. Axel is still in the open, but doesn't dare move to join us behind the tree. His wide brown eyes look to Hadley in terror. Why does he suddenly seem so young? Usually, he's so mature, but right now he really seems his age.

 _SNAP!_

The noise is so close, it might as well be on top of us. I suddenly realize that the tree Hadley and I are pressed against seems very climbable, with the low branches and vines hanging down. I look up nervously - at this point, I'm almost sure I'll see the entire Career pack sitting at the top. But when I look up, the tree is clearly unoccupied. I look back at Hadley, who is facing me, and let out a strangled gasp through his hand.

Directly behind Hadley is the tall boy from District 1. He towers over Hadley, who doesn't seem to realize anything is wrong. The boy has a triumphant smile on his face as he raises a spear. Hadley shushes me angrily, still unaware of the Career behind him.

I break out of my paralysis and let out a scream. I break free of Hadley's grip, and on impulse, begin scaling the tree. My blood's pumping and I don't bother worrying about my allies. I hope they're following my lead, but it's not like I'm going to help them out.

The tree is slick with moss, but the vines help me climb. Thankfully, they're quite thick and can support my weight as I yank myself up. I hear the unmistakable sounds of screaming and fighting behind me, and then I hear someone behind me. I glance down nervously, but it's just Axel trying to heave himself up. He's blocking my view of Hadley, but it sounds like he's fighting with the Careers.

What I _can_ see is another Career, this time, the boy from District 4, come running out of the bushes with a spear propped in his hands.

"Hadley, run!" Axel screams shrilly. I look away from the scene and face the top of the tree, resuming my ascent. I'm small, but normally I wouldn't be able to pull myself up as fast. My adrenaline must be kicking in. I stop climbing when I'm a decent height above the ground. I perch on a sturdy branch, clutching to the trunk with one hand. With the other, I slide my dagger out of my belt. Just in case.

I now feel safe enough to look down at the scene below. To my shock, Hadley somehow managed to break away from the Careers and is climbing the tree. Axel is only a few feet below me, but looks to be struggling to pull himself up the last few feet. We're dangerously high - if Axel were to fall, he could die. Best case scenario, he breaks both legs. And then the Careers would kill him anyway.

He's sweating profusely as he yanks himself up a bit more. His small arms are trembling. I can see his sweaty hands start to slide down the vines.

"Help," he chokes as he tightens his grip. I could pull him up the last bit. Or…

Or I could let him fall. I could use my dagger to slice the vines and let both of my allies fall to their dooms. That would give me time to escape…

I snap out of my hesitation, shocked at the fact I'd even considering killing my allies. I've never considered that before, and I never thought I would.

 _I wouldn't kill Axel_ , I assure myself. _At least, not directly. No, I wouldn't kill him indirectly either._

Chastising myself for the surprisingly dark thoughts, I reach down and clasp my hand around Axel's slick wrist. Holding tightly, I yank him up the last foot or so until he's sitting on the branch next to me. He mutters thanks, and then hugs the tree tightly, looking ready to pass out from fear. Hadley is only slightly below us now and a moment later, he has pulled himself up next to us. To my surprise, the boy from District 1 is also climbing up the vines, though he's not even halfway yet. I thought he would have had enough sense to stay below.

Without hesitation, I use my dagger to cut the vines. His eyes widen in fear when he realizes what I'm doing, then he and the vines drop down a bit.

To my disappointment, he immediately pops back up to his feet, looking unhurt and angry.

His anger scares me a bit, but then I remind myself that he can't hurt us while we're up here. He can't reach us, so they'll probably just leave. I doubt they'd wait us out. There are only two of them, which likely means they won't be willing to stay overnight.

My confidence immediately turns to fear when the District 1 boy's face changes into a triumphant grin. I feel uneasy. _He couldn't get up here_ , I assure myself.

… _Right_?

The boy reaches into his pocket, and pulls out… a gun. I hear Axel let out a gasp. He can see it as well. The One boy aims the pistol directly at me. Despite the height, I can see the little black hole where the bullet will emerge from. My head swishes back and forth in fear as I look for where I could possibly go. There are no ways back down…

I notice a thick vine hanging midway between our tree and another. I glance back down at Trajan, who looks ready to pull the trigger. Without thinking, I leap for the vine.

My stomach seems to disappear when I'm in midair for a second, with nothing to support me. Luckily, I crash into the vine and my hands grab onto it desperately. I stop falling and swing across the vine. I hear a loud gunshot behind me that startles me so much, I nearly let go. However, I manage to keep my grip on the vine. I swing until I'm right beside a second vine, and I grab onto this one.

I let go of the first vine as I swing along with this one. It carries me to another tree. I grab onto a branch firmly and look behind me. Axel and Hadley are gaping at me in shock, but are snapped out of their gaze when the boy from District 1 shouts something. I can't hear what he says, but shortly after, he runs to my tree, still aiming his gun at me.

I jump to another vine and begin swinging across to a second tree. As I do, the boy from District 1 runs below me. I glance back and see Axel and Hadley also moving across, but at a much slower pace. They are pursued by the boy from District 4 (Lucas? Lucius?)

I should wait for them, so we don't get separated, but I don't have time for that. They're moving too slowly. I think I can outrun the boy from District 1 by myself, and then I'll survive. Even if I'm without Axel and Hadley, I'll be alive. And that's what's most important. Surviving.

I resume my speedy pace. I can feel myself flying through the trees, almost like a monkey. I'm escaping the Careers. I can tell by the lower volume of their voices. I'm also leaving behind Axel and Hadley, but… this is better.

At first, each leap was terrifying, but I'm beginning to enjoy it. I almost feel like I'm flying. I've always wanted to fly. Paired with the excitement of escaping death, it's enjoyable.

I can barely hear anyone else anymore. All I can hear is the whistling of the wind as I whip by. I reach another tree, and don't hesitate before reaching out and grabbing a vine. I swing along, flying again, and grab a second vine. I immediately let go of the other, so all of my weight is on this one.

I immediately feel something wrong. This one is thinner. Before I can contemplate this situation further, I hear a snap, and suddenly I'm falling. I tighten my grip on the vine uselessly, but it's falling as well. There are no vines nearby. I grasp at the air in panic, but the ground races toward me at a terrifying speed. I catch a glimpse of the leafy ground and just have enough time to think, _maybe the plants will cushion the fall_ , before I make contact.

At first, I don't feel anything. The shock is enough to make me feel fine. But then a sharp, impossibly painful ache spreads through my mid-back. Without thinking, I let out a large scream. I try to sit up, but the pain that comes from the effort is almost enough to make me pass out. I collapse back so I'm lying on the ground. I feel tears in my eyes as I try to think of a way out of this, but pain clouds my thoughts.

"Ha, she _fell_!" I hear someone shout nearby. Panic is now added to the pain - it's unmistakably the District 1 boy. It's now that I try to get up and run away.

I use my arms to pull myself away from where I was, and the pain is incredible. My vision goes white, but I don't give up until I've yanked myself a bit away from where I initially fell. I can see exactly what I hit - apparently, there was a giant rock hidden beneath a leaf directly where my back hit the ground.

I need to ignore the pain and stand up. I convince myself to try and run away, but for the first time, I realize that I can't feel anything below my waist. I sharply inhale in fear at my suspicion. I look down at my body - my back is twisted at a crazy angle, and when I try to move my legs, nothing happens.

The tears fall even faster. I can't do anything. I'm hopeless now.

 _No!_ I tell myself. _You can hide from them, and then maybe the Capitol can fix you when you win. You just need to hide._

I try to ignore the crazy amount of pain shooting down my body as I pull myself along the jungle floor. If I get under one of those large bushes, maybe the Careers couldn't find me? I don't know where they are, but they haven't reached me yet.

"Look, Marlo, she's trying to crawl away!" the District 1 boy shouts. Based on his volume, he must be directly behind me. However, I refuse to believe this. I can still escape…

The District 1 boy may have been able to sneak on me, but the District 4 boy has no such stealth. I hear him crashing through the jungle and toward me. At this point, I have to face the fact that there are two Careers behind me.

Perhaps they have pity? Maybe they won't hurt an injured thirteen-year-old girl? Everyone has a heart. Trying to ignore the pain in my back, I flip back over so I'm facing them. The District 4 boy is closer, and his expression is clear - pity. However, the tall District 1 boy is towering over me. _Grinning_. How could he be grinning right now?

I'm a good actress, but I don't need to act right now. All of the tears streaming down my face are 100% genuine.

"Please…" I choke through tears. I focus my pleading on the District 4 boy, who seems much more sympathetic. "Please don't hurt me. Please… I didn't hurt you. I wouldn't. Please don't kill me. P-please, I - I have a family. M-my sisters, and m-my mom and dad. I-I can't die. Please…"

The District 4 boy frowns down, looking sympathetic. I feel a dim flicker of hope, but I can't deny that my chances are abysmal.

"Please…" I repeat, my voice softer now. For a second, I think he's going to help. Then he turns away. The boy from District 1 walks up, still smiling. _Why is he still smiling?_

I don't have time to beg anymore. I know I've lost. I've lost the Hunger Games. I promised my family I'd come home… and I - I didn't. I broke my promise. As the boy raises his spear above his head, I reach my hand into my jacket pocket. My token is in there. A scrap of silk is in there. Real silk. Magenta gave it to me. She had been so excited to find real silk.

 _Magenta's tears roll down her face as she stands in front of me. The rest of my family stands by the door, ready to be ushered out. Their time is nearly up. Magenta holds out the scrap of silk and presses it into my hand._

" _Please come home," she whispers. I feel my chest ache. I don't want to leave - I don't want to go into the Hunger Games, where I may or may not die. "You have to come home. Promise."_

" _I promise," I say after a few seconds, pocketing the piece of silk. She bursts into tears and wraps me in a hug which I immediately return. Her bushy hair gets in my face, but I don't mind. I tighten my grip, not wanting to let go._

" _Time's up."_

The District 1 boy's spear glints. A bit of sun has snuck through the branches where I fell. It nearly blinds me as the reflection goes into my eyes. I take a deep breath, preparing for the impact. My hand tightens on the bit of silk.

 _I'm sorry I couldn't come home._

The point of the spear comes down in a _whoosh_.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

 _BOOM!_

A cannon fires for the first time since the Bloodbath. I grin. _About time_. I was afraid we'd have another day devoid of death. Unfortunately, the cannon also means one less person I can torture…

But I'll have enough. There are still fourteen others left, I'm sure I can find enough to kill or torture.

I resume my walking at a careful place. I've needed to move slowly all morning, because I suspect I'm getting close to my next victim. About three hours ago, I realized there were fresh footprints in the ground. They could only have been left by someone who had traveled along this trail early today.

I can't always follow footprints, which is why I've mostly had to depend on broken shrubby to find where to go. The jungle is so dense, it's impossible to move very far without knocking down several bushes and trampling plants. Fortunately, whoever I'm following left an obvious path to move along.

I have to restrain myself from breaking into a run and simply chasing them down. I know that if I were to do that, I'd be warning them that I'm nearby and they'd just find somewhere to hide. No, I need to be stealthy like a hunter - I can't alert them of my presence until there's nowhere for them to hide.

I tiptoe through the jungle, only stopping when I hear something. I freeze, straining my ears to pick up on more. The rustle of a leaf, a few footsteps, then silence.

 _They're ahead. They're right ahead._

I can barely conceal my excitement. They must be so close now…

Unable to resist, I speed up my pace a bit to rush toward them. I push away some more leaves, and come to a stop. I've entered a clearing with a large river snaking through. The river is actually quite wide, and I know swimming across it is an unrealistic goal. I glance to my right, and suddenly see a girl crouching on the riverbed. She's refilling her water bottle. I think it's the girl from District 3.

I smile, and retreat back behind a tree. It's not time to kill her yet - I need a plan. I want to savor this death - I wasn't able to savor the death for my District partner. But I'm not going to waste any opportunities now, especially since I have one less person to kill since the cannon fired.

I watch her fill up her water bottle as my head begins running with potential plans.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

Lucretius has refused to talk to me ever since I killed the little girl from District 8. He wasn't super chatty before, but now, he's completely ignoring me.

"What's wrong?" I ask him. "Is it the spear? Do you want me to clean it off?" I hold up the spear, which is still coated with the little girl's blood. Lucretius looks away, slightly green. After a second, he nods. "Fine."

I wipe the blood off on the knee of my pants. Lucretius's eyes flicker to it, and then he says, "that's not what I meant. I didn't want to look at it anymore. Just transferring the blood to a more permanent position doesn't do much good."

"So you don't like looking at blood?" I clarify, smirking slightly. Lucretius hesitantly shakes his head. "Why'd you Volunteer for the Hunger Games, then?"

"Winning. Honor. All of that," Lucretius responds, refusing to look at me. He kicks a small pebble and it flies a few feet in front of us. "I Volunteered for what comes after, not the Hunger Games myself."

"Well, if you don't learn to accept seeing death and blood, the 'what comes after for you' will be laying in a wooden box six feet under the earth." Lucretius glares at me, but I don't care. It's the truth, no matter what he says. "Death is part of the Hunger Games. You don't get to pick and choose which parts you want and which you don't. If you want the Victory (which isn't going to happen, from what I've seen so far) then you have to kill. Can you kill, Lucretius?"

He pauses for a few seconds, then says, "yes?" in a voice that makes him sound incredibly unsure.

"Really?" I smirk.

"Yes," he repeats, his voice still quivering.

"Fine. The next time we find someone to kill, I'll let you have the honors," I say. Lucretius looks alarmed. "Even if it's one of the twelve-year-olds - the boy from Six or the girl from Ten. _You_ get to kill them."

"You don't have to do that," Lucretius mutters.

"No, no. It's my pleasure."

"Do you have any empathy," Lucretius barks angrily, finally turning to face me.

Still grinning, I simply say, "Nope."

* * *

 **There's a poll on my profile for your favorite characters for Day 3, so please go vote on that.**

 **What did you think of the death? It's our first death (not including the Bloodbath) and I know they were popular. The eulogy will be next chapter, because I don't want anyone skipping to the bottom to see who died (because I do that as well and I know it usually makes the story less enjoyable).**

 **Please review!**

 **\- Lilah**


	41. Day 3: Part 2: Limb From Limb

**District 2**

 **Glitter Monique**

* * *

Vincent and I are currently walking through a dried-up stream. It's a little difficult to maneuver my way upriver, because the only thing in the streambed are mossy rocks that my leather boots do not gain traction on. I have to be very aware of where I put my feet, as to not slip, but Vincent is walking straight ahead, and somehow he's not close to slipping.

My foot slides against another rock and I almost fall. I quickly regain my balance and glare jealously at Vincent, who has yet to fall. He doesn't notice, which is lucky, because I'm trying to get him to like me and I don't think him catching me glaring at him would help.

I've kind of gotten side-tracked so far. I planned on being one of the most powerful threats in the arena and was on track to do so when Vincent came along with his biceps and gorgeous blue eyes and completely distracted me from my plan.

I think he's starting to like me. We cuddle every night and spend nearly all of our time together. We have a special bond, and I think we've almost formed an inner-alliance. Our Career group is filled with inner alliances or potential inner alliances. Cecelia and Noelani obviously have a 'secret' alliance because they spend all of their time together and get upset whenever Glorian doesn't select them to go hunting together. Vincent and I sort of have an inner alliance. Trajan's by himself because everyone hates him. Luc is either allied with Glorian or part of Noelani and Cecelia's inner alliance. It's made tension in the pack really heavy.

As much as I hate to admit it, Glorian is doing a good job of running the alliance. A lot of his choices when it comes to pairing people up may seem pretty random, but I think he's purposefully putting people who won't click together so that they don't have time to scheme against him and ditch the Careers together.

My foot catches on another slippery rock and I go crashing to the ground. My hands shoot out to block my fall and my palm collides with an especially sharp rock.

I let out a cry as I get back to my feet. My palm has a sizable cut in it. I cradle it to my chest, wincing. I look up and am surprised to see that Vincent didn't stop for me. In fact, he's very far ahead, still walking fast.

"Wait up!" I shout, rushing to catch up to him. He doesn't stop walking.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

I think I've nearly reached the edge of the arena.

After walking for three days, I've reached a large cliffside with a waterfall feeding into the river below. The rocky wall is high and steep, so I don't know how I could possibly get up there. However, it's filled with all sorts of indents that make caves. I think if I were to attempt to climb it, I would be able to sneak into one and rest.

But do I want to climb it? I'm suspecting this is near the edge of the arena, but there could be something past this. But the climb looks treacherous, and what if it really is the edge? The whole climb wouldn't be worth it.

At the same time, if I managed to make it up there, it would give me a huge advantage against other tributes. I'd be able to see them coming, and it's unlikely many of them would risk the climb. But what if I slipped and fell? I have to get home to Ada. Is it worth the risk?

I sigh and kneel at the riverside. After reaching it and realizing crossing was an unrealistic goal, I decided to hike along the side. It wasn't the most pleasant walk, mostly because I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. At first, I was quite sure that someone _was_ watching me. But I checked the surrounding area and I couldn't explain why someone wouldn't kill me immediately, so I just dismissed it as nerves and hoped it would leave me soon.

It didn't.

Still trying to ignore my hairs standing on end, I decide to set up camp for the night. I can choose whether or not to climb the cliff in the morning. I consider setting up camp in one of the caves, but most require a considerable climb and the only ground-level cave is large and directly behind the waterfall. I don't want to get soaked by going through the sheet of water.

Instead, I just place my things (which consists of my sponsor parachute, water bottle, and nothing else) on a rock next to the river and lean against it. I can always move to a more concealed place if the weather gets bad. It likely will - there are no trees covering the river, so I can see the dark sky. The sun is already beginning to set, but dark clouds nearly block out the pink sky. It's probably going to rain again tonight.

I reach for my water bottle and take a long sip. Since I've been next to a decent water source all day, I've allowed myself unlimited sips of water. If I run out, I can always refill the bottle. Thirst is one thing that hasn't been an issue. Hunger has been a bit more problematic. I don't have a weapon to hunt animals, so I've only been able to eat a few plants. I also only remember a few from training, and I won't eat any unless I'm positive it's safe, so all I've had since breakfast on the first day is a few handfuls of berries I found. They only provide a bit of nutrition, and the bush was nearly stripped clean. I still have a few left in my parachute, but I've been trying to save them.

Deciding I deserve a bit of food, I open the sponsor box and begin snacking on them. I don't remember their name, but they're small and watery and bitter. My face twists in disgust, but I gulp them down anyway.

I freeze when I hear the rustling of leaves. My breath catches - it could be the wind, but that seems unlikely considering there is no wind. I don't want to turn around. I know what I'm going to see.

I carefully set down my silver sponsor gift and turn around. Between me and the treelines is a large boy with his dark face twisted into a sadistic smile. Dennis.

I quickly scamper to my feet, suddenly aware of how unprepared I am. I don't have any sort of weapon to defend myself with, and this get-up won't provide any sort of armor against Dennis. He, on the other hand, has a dagger in one hand, a whip in the other, and a _second_ dagger tucked into his belt. He has a sleeping bag strapped around his back, which could probably provide some protection. Not that he needs it… the odds of me afflicting any damage are almost non-existent.

"Hello, Lennox," Dennis says quietly after a moment. I find that I can't seem to move my legs, but where would I go anyway? The river is at my back, and there's no space to move along the sides. Either way, I'm going to have to fight him and likely die. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been following you all day. Well, since Day 1, actually. But I've been watching you all day.

"You're likely wondering why I didn't kill you sooner. Well, I had to have a plan. Because I told you how I was going to kill you, in training, right?" he asks. My throat feels dry as I shrug, even though I vividly remember him explaining how he intended to kill me. "I didn't remember at first. I threatened a lot of people, and I wanted to follow through on my threat to you without mixing it up with someone else's."

Dennis pauses and grins.

"You remember, don't know? You know exactly what I'm about to say." Dennis's dark eyes light up in excitement, something that chills me to the bone. "I'm going to tear you limb from limb."

The words being spoken aloud are enough to get me to move. I break into a run, trying to get past Dennis. I don't know how fast he is. His size suggests he won't be super quick, but I could be wrong. After all, I didn't hear him following me all day.

Dennis slams into me and I'm knocked into the ground. So close to the river, the ground is soft and damp. I try to get away, but Dennis yanks me back before I can do anything. To make things worse, he flips me around so I have to see his dark eyes again. I try to get away again, but he easily holds me down.

"I don't think I can rip your limbs off…" Dennis starts. For a moment, I feel relief, but then he says, "I suppose I'll have to cut them off."

I feel a flicker of panic, and then that flicker turns into a blast as I see his dagger poised in front of my face. His eyes are shining so brightly in excitement. His grin no longer looks evil… he genuinely appears ecstatic. I almost cry when I realize what he reminds me of… he has the same shade of brown eyes as Ada. Her eyes light up like that when she's excited. Dennis reminds me of Ada right now, and that's the scariest thing I've encountered this entire time.

He presses the cold tip of his blade against my arm, right at the crook of my elbow. I squeeze my eyes shut - I don't want to see his face or his eyes that look so similar to Ada and Devin's.

He begins sawing down. The pain is so bright it takes up my entire body and everything feels like it's on fire. I might be screaming, I might have blacked out, I don't know. All I can focus on is the pain consuming me. After an unidentifiable period of time, the pain is limited to just feeling like my entire arm is on fire, and my vision is restored. My eyes flicker open to see Dennis, looking like it's his birthday, lifting up a blood-soaked dagger. It drips off and lands on my stomach.

 _That's_ my _blood_ … the thought is almost enough to make my pass out again.

"Now for the other arm…" Dennis starts, but before he can cut open my other arm, I knee him in the stomach. He jerks back in surprise, but before he can hold me back down, I kick his side. The kick is enough to send him into the raging river.

I don't know whether he can swim or not (I hope he can't) but he doesn't emerge from the river. I think I see him bobbing along far along the river, pushed away from me.

I accidentally look down and catch sight of my arm. My vision goes dark for a moment, but I don't faint. I can't look away. My entire forearm is lying in a pool of my blood, while the part attached to my body is gushing dark blood in a gush. I feel like I'm going to vomit. My head feels fuzzy. I try to drag myself away from the river, but the effort shoots more pain down my arm. After a few seconds, everything goes dark again.

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

The jaguar paces in front of us, baring its fangs. I don't remember what to do when encountering jaguars - I'm sure I learned it at some point, but I don't remember. I stand frozen to the spot, trying not to move. I technically know it won't work, since the Gamemakers clearly programmed this mutt to kill, but I'm trying to stay optimistic that it will just turn and leave.

"What do we do?" Cecelia hisses out of the corner of her mouth. I don't respond, still at a loss for a plan. "Should we try to run back the way we came?"

"The jaguar would kill us before we reached the hallway," I reply. The jaguar has evil red eyes that glare at me as it slowly approaches. I hold my breath, silently willing it to go away. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cecelia place her hand on her sword. I don't dare move.

The jaguar stands still, still making eye contact with me. Suddenly, I feel something crawling across my arm. I let out the tiniest of gasps. I feel extremely tempted to look, but I'm worried the jaguar will pounce if I move. The insect moves down to my hand, and I feel compelled to look. Slowly, I raise my hand until I can see the bug in my peripheral vision.

It's quite large and seems to have pincers of some sort. I let out a shriek and knock it off my hand. It scampers away, and I'm relieved until I feel something slam into my chest. Before I can see the spotted skin of the leopard, I'm knocked to the ground. My head whips back and slams against the stone floor. I let out a groan. When I crack my eyes open, all I can see are the leopard's yellowed jaws. It breathes heavily in my face, and I can smell the coppery scent of blood.

I reach for my sword, but it's tucked in my belt in a position made impossible by the position. The leopard is over me, and it's blocking access to my only weapon.

It snaps at my face, but doesn't make contact. Suddenly, it's knocked to the side. I immediately scoot back until I'm on my feet, and I see Cecelia over the jaguar, stabbing her sword into its side. However, it's still alive. It gets to its feet and growls at her. I immediately grab my sword and head over to help her out, but by the time I reach Cecelia and the cat, she's beheaded it.

"Thanks," I pant, wiping the sweat off my face.

Cecelia and I both head over to the statue and pedestal in the center of the room, slightly shaken. Upon closer examination, the glowing pedestal appears to hold some sort of jewel. It's about egg-sized, and I think it may be a ruby. Cecelia moves to grab it, but I bat her hand away.

"Careful," I warn. "It may be a trap." Cecelia yanks her hand back. I look back at the jewel, and realize that an inscription is carved into the pedestal. I point it out to Cecelia, and we both crouch down to read it.

 _Welcome lucky tribute,_

 _You've discovered one of the three gems placed around the arena. This jewel could save your life - with this, you can survive the Hunger Games without having to win._

 _It is possible that four tributes survive this year; one victor and three survivors._

 _However, you must make it to the final five to be able to escape. If you're in possession of the jewel by then, go to the Cornucopia. There, you will be rescued via hovercraft and will be taken home. You won't receive glory or wealth or even a place in the Victor's Village, but you will live. You'll go back to your old life as though you never were in the Hunger Games._

 _If you're with an ally, be very careful who you select to take the jewel. It can not be transferred between tributes. The first person to touch it is the only one who can use it to escape… with one exception. If you kill the current possessor of the jewel, then you will be the new owner._

 _May the odds be ever in your favor!_

When we've finished reading, Cecelia and I exchange a look that shows we're thinking the same thing -

"I can't take this," Cecelia says. "I volunteered for the Hunger Games for a reason. I've trained for as long as I can remember, and I need to escape."

"Well, you'll escape if you take the gem," I reason. Cecelia shakes her head solemnly.

"That's not what I meant. I need to escape my life in District 1." She doesn't say anything else, and I don't push any farther.

"I… I don't think I can take it either. I've trained for a long time as well, and I have people who are counting on me. People who would be upset if I came home without a crown. And it would probably be better in the hands of someone who really wants it - someone who didn't ask to be in the Hunger Games, and just wants to survive," I say. Cecelia nods in agreement.

"I suppose this was a waste of time," she chuckles half-heartedly. At her words, a door slides open at the other end of the room. Light shines in and I can see the green of the jungle.

"I suppose we should head back to the rest of the Careers now."

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

"I told you they wouldn't be here," Yael groans. We've just reached the place we were before the monkey attack, but it's completely empty. No Tristana and no Rachel.

"It was worth a shot," I mutter. Yael shrugs. I slump against a mossy log and try to hide my disappointment. Tristana and Rachel were the most useful members in our alliance. Neither Yael nor I am very good with weapons or strategy. Without them, we're just wandering around aimlessly.

Yael sits on the log next to me, quiet. I hear her begin to play with her whip behind me, a nervous habit she's picked up. Sometimes it makes me nervous. I don't know why - I know Yael would never hurt me, but sometimes I get a bad feeling.

I have to ignore what my gut's telling me, though. It's never been very accurate in the past, and I can't afford to mistrust my final ally.

"Do you think the anthem will play soon?" I ask nervously. A cannon fired in the morning, and I've been stressing all day that it's Rachel or Tristana.

"Probably," says Yael. I look up into the sky, and am glad to see that we have a decent view of the sky. The branches aren't too dense here, so I should be able to see who died. The sky is very dark now - I'm glad for the moon, which is bright enough to light my surroundings. I don't like the dark.

"Who do you think it is?" I try to ask casually, but it doesn't sound casual in the slightest. My fear is evident. Yael scoots over and wraps her arms around me, comfortingly.

"It won't be Tristana or Rachel," she says with such confidence, it almost convinces me. "They're too strong to die."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yes. We'll find them tomorrow."

How could I ever think Yael would hurt me? I can trust her - Yael will keep me safe. Even if we don't find Tristana or Rachel, Yael will be by my side for the rest of the Games.

The anthem begins to play, and my head shoots up. The Capitol emblem is set brightly against the dark sky, and I nervously await its change. The emblem remains for a few moments before fading into the picture of a girl with bushy hair. She has a determined look on - it's the girl from District 8. I breathe a sigh of relief, but also feel uneasy. She was really close to my age. It could have just as easily been my picture up there. And if my memory serves correctly, she got a higher score than me… so it would have been more likely that I'd be up there.

I nervously bite my lip and continue to stare at the picture until I hear someone crashing through the bushes. I gasp, and Yael and I both hop to our feet. I grab my dagger and hold it out in front of me. However, I know it's unlikely I'll survive in a fight, so it's probably better if I just take off.

I get ready to run, but something keeps me grounded - the hope that it's Rachel and Tristana who emerge from the bushes. I privately know I'm being unrealistic, but I don't run.

To my surprise, it _is_ Tristana who pushes her way into the open. I squeal in delight and run at her. I drop my weapon as I go, and pull her into a hug. Over her shoulder, I see Rachel make her way through, looking exhausted.

"Hi," she says, smiling through her exhaustion. She sits down next to the log as if we were never separated. "I'm not taking first watch."

With that, she falls asleep. I grin, and let go of Tristana.

"Me neither," I say, and curl up beside Rachel. Comforted by the fact that all of my allies are alive and well, and we're all back together again, I don't have any trouble sleeping. The moment my head hits the ground, I'm asleep.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

It's nighttime when everyone else begins to filter back into camp. Linen's face has already appeared in the sky. Luc and I returned from hunting in mid-afternoon, so we've had to wait around a ton. Luc and Noelani immediately began talking, and didn't really let me join in. However, I was in such a good mood from getting another kill, I didn't care much.

By now, the pride has faded and now I'm just tired and hungry. We're not allowed to eat before Glorian returns, so we've just been sitting here, starving, for hours.

Two people emerge from the trees, but to my disappointment, it's only Glitter and Vincent. I groan - we _still_ can't eat.

"Is Glorian back yet?" Vincent asks. I shake my head, and they both groan. "Ugh, I'm _starving_ ," Vincent complains. He hesitates, then says, "I'm going to go gather some berries or something. I'll be back soon."

"I'll come with you!" Glitter exclaims eagerly as Vincent begins walking back into the forest.

"No!" he quickly shouts, and she draws back. He mutters a half-hearted apology, then disappears into the trees. Glitter walks over to the Cornucopia, frowning. To my surprise, she sits down next to me.

"He hates you," I say bluntly, digging the tip of my spear into the ground.

"He doesn't _hate_ me," she says. I raise an eyebrow. "Maybe he doesn't like me now, but he will."

"Why are you so confident?"

"I can always get boys to like me," Glitter grins smugly.

"No one that I've seen, so far. Everyone in our alliance hates you."

"If you hate me, why are you talking to me?"

"I'm bored."

"Well, everyone else in the Careers seems to have inner alliances," she observes after a moment.

"Oh, really?" I ask, mocking surprise. My voice dripping with sarcasm, I say, "I thought Cecelia and Noelani were complete strangers!"

"You don't have an ally," she notes. I pause. I can't tell if she's trying to argue with me or propose an alliance.

"Yes…?" I ask carefully.

"So far, Cecelia and Glorian have the most influence in the alliance. If we killed Glorian, we could be the new leaders of the Careers," Glitter says.

"If we killed Glorian, the Careers would disband. No one would trust us"

"What if we did it in private? What if one of us killed him while we're alone hunting, or something, and blamed it on another tribute or muttation?" Glitter suggests. I consider this. "Then we could kill Cecelia."

"Deal," I smile.

"But, I doubt Noelani or Lucretius would stick around with us."

"Kill Noelani, and Luc will stick around," I assure her. "He's a follower - he doesn't have the guts to ditch the rest of the Careers."

"All right," Glitter says. She holds out her hand to shake. After a second, I do so.

Forget about Linen, I can't wait to see Cecelia and Glorian's faces in the sky.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

The sky is dark, with the exception of the moon which shines above our heads. I'm guessing it's a little past midnight. All of the Careers, with the exception of Noelani and I, are fast asleep in the Cornucopia. Noelani and I are still snacking on our dinner, which was some fruit and a bit of a rabbit that Glitter and Vincent caught. The rest of the Careers gulped it down immediately, but we're savoring it.

To our surprise and delight, it hasn't rained all day, so we were able to build a fire that Noelani and I are now sitting next to, a bit away from the mouth of the Cornucopia.

Glitter is still sleeping curled up next to Vincent. I noticed that she stayed away from him until he was asleep, then rolled over until she was next to him. Trajan is propped up against the wall in the back of the Cornucopia with a weapon in either hand. Glorian is spread out on the floor, while Luc is sleeping only a foot away.

"I'm surprised Trajan didn't gloat about killing the girl from District 8 too much," I remark, chewing on a bit of fruit.

"Oh, he did earlier," Noelani assures me. "According to Luc, he wouldn't shut up on the way back. And then we had a long time where we were waiting for Glorian and you to return, where Trajan repeated the story _over_ and _over_ again. By the time you came, even Trajan was sick of it."

"Wow, I didn't notice there was a limit to how much he could boost his ego."

"Ha ha, yeah. Speaking of which, what took you guys so long?" Noelani asks. My eyes widen. I can't believe I've forgotten to recount the story to her!

"Okay, so Glorian and I found this building. It looked really old and overgrown, but when we entered there were a bunch of traps inside."

" _Oh,_ so _that's_ why Glorian's missing eyebrows!"

"Yeah. We finally reached this room with a ruby inside it. There was this note, and it said that whoever had the jewel could survive the Hunger Games. If they reach the final five, they can return home, along with the Victor," I explain. Noelani's eyes widen in surprise.

"Do you have it?" she asks.

"No. I...I can't go back to the way everything was before. It's still in the building. But _you_ could get it!"

"I think it would be a little obvious if I left the Career camp for a full day to look for a gem…" Noelani starts.

"Then let's ditch the Careers! We can leave and get the gem!"

"And have the Careers hunt us down?" Noelani asks, raising her eyebrows. Her gorgeous green eyes watch me skeptically.

"Well… maybe not now. But eventually. When there are only a few people left, we can leave. And then… and then we can both make it home!"

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F): Stabbed with a spear by Trajan Seth (D1M) - Linen was fairly popular, so this was a tough death. She had potential, and I could have kept her around longer with plenty of action, but she died for the simple reason that it just made** _ **sense**_ **for her to die here. I knew she wasn't going to win, so I didn't want to drag her along for ten days before undoubtedly killing her. I've also had her death planned out for a while, so I wanted to write it while it made sense.**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Vincent  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Dennis**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glitter Monique (D2F) - 1  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Noelani King (D4F) - 0  
Lucretius Marlo (D4M) - 0  
Dennis Fielder (D5M) - 1  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 0  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 0  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1  
Arabella Cantros (D10F) - 0  
Yael Harident (D11F) - 0  
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	42. Ambrosius Light I

**The Capitol**

 **Ambrosius Light**

* * *

"So?" Alexandros demands, not even looking up from the documents he's reading. I take a step into his office and gently close the door behind me. Alexandros hates when I slam it, even though he slams them consistently and loudly. "So?" he repeats.

"He didn't say anything."

"What do you mean? Did he say nothing of importance or absolutely nothing?"

"Well, he said that he didn't know anything. And then he died." Alexandros finally sets down his work and peers up at me.

"He died?" he asks. I nod in confirmation. "I thought I told them not to kill anyone yet!"

"He had a heart attack. When we showed him his wife and children being tortured -"

"You tortured his wife and children?"

"No! Bracket invented this thing where we were able to twist images and videos to make it look like they were being tortured."

"Nice for Bracket," Alexandros grins. "Well, get the next person. We haven't had new information in a while - someone ought to know something sooner or later".

* * *

 **I know, I know. This chapter is crazy short. But nothing very important happens. I also forgot about this chapter and completed Day 4 Part 1 a few minutes ago. I was about to post it, then realized I forgot about this half-finished chapter. I quickly "finished" it, and now I'm posting both back-to-back.**

 **\- Lilah**


	43. Day 4: Part 1: Two Simple Instructions

**CI intended to address this before, but - if your tribute receives a sponsor gift from you, it won't always be mentioned in a chapter. Since I only have 6 POVs per chapter, I don't really see the point of using a whole POV for a sponsor gift unless something else happens. But they will receive it, even if it isn't mentioned.**

 **Speaking of sponsor points, I realize I'm** _ **super**_ **behind on updating the points. I've been meaning to get around to it, but… I'm just super lazy and it's a pretty tedious task.**

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Lucretius Marlo**

* * *

Someone roughly shakes me awake. I groan and peek my eyes open, hoping to avoid the blinding sun that has, unfortunately, waken me up every morning. One of the worst parts of being in one of the only clearings in the arena is the fact that the sun shines in my face every morning. However, today, it's barely light out.

I open my eyes all the way and see Glorian shaking me by my shoulder.

"What time is it?" I groan, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as he steps away.

"Do I look like I have a watch?"

I sit up groggily. I don't think I've woken up this early in the arena yet. The sun must not be over the treelines yet, because only a few thin rays make their way through the jungle to light our way. It's still a bit dark, but I can see everything fine. Glitter and Vincent are asleep, with Glitter nearly on top of him. Vincent must be in too deep a slumber to notice.

Cecelia and Noelani, to my surprise, are still curled around the smoldering ruins of the fire, asleep. I guess they fell asleep out there. What's more surprising is the fact that they didn't wake up, because judging by the dampness of the grass, it sprinkled a bit last night. It may just be morning dew, but it still couldn't be comfortable.

Glorian is standing above me, looking completely energized. I suspect he's the only morning person in the Career pack. Trajan is also up, but he doesn't look too pleased. He leans against his spear, his greasy brown hair sticking up on one side. He stares at the wall blankly, barely seeming to comprehend his surroundings. I'm guessing Glorian woke him up against his will, as well.

"What's up?" I ask Glorian, as I stand up. I brush off the seat of my cargo pants.

"We're nearly out of food," Glorian explains gruffly. "We only have a basket of fruit left, and after that, we're out of food. If it became too serious, we could probably get sponsors, but prices are probably rising by now, and we can't depend solely on them. We haven't had a lot of luck hunting so far, so I was hoping we could manage to kill something if we woke up earlier."

My mind's still half-asleep, so I only really understood half of what he said. However, I nod and stand up. I grab my spear and let out a giant yawn. Glorian, Trajan and I begin to exit the Cornucopia.

Glorian looks really prepared - he has his compass in one hand and his sword in the other and looks really excited at the prospect of getting food. Trajan and I both trudge along behind him. Hopefully, we manage to find something, because I'm starving. I'd at least like to find a water source. Water isn't super low yet, but I want to bathe. I still have a bit of dried blood on me from yesterday.

Glorian pauses at the fire and shakes Cecelia awake. She sits up quickly, holding her dagger threateningly as her eyes adjust to the morning. She lowers the dagger when she sees it's only Glorian.

I glance nervously between Cecelia and Trajan - is Cecelia coming with us, too? It doesn't seem like the best idea - not only would Trajan and Cecelia bicker the entire time and drive me insane, but they'd likely scare away any animals.

However, Glorian just says, "Trajan, Luc, and I are going hunting. We'll probably be back in the afternoon, hopefully with some food. Don't let Glitter and Vincent go off alone, and don't eat the last of the fruit."

Cecelia nods, and immediately curls back up next to Noelani. She doesn't seem to notice that the ground is soaked.

"Cecelia, don't fall asleep!" Glorian exclaims.

"Okay, okay," she mutters. "I wasn't."

I don't believe her, but she sits back up anyway and finally seems to realize that all of her clothes are soaking in rainwater. Glorian gives her a few more instructions, and we take off into the jungle.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

I know Glorian told me not to let Vincent and Glitter go off on their own, but they did anyway. At first, I half-heartedly tried to get them to stay, but Glitter completely ignored me, so then I just let them wander off. To be honest, I was slightly relieved. Glitter is one of the most irritating people I've ever had the displeasure of knowing.

Not only do I not have to put up with Glitter for the next few hours, but now I can just chat with Noelani. At first, I was furious at myself for becoming friends with her, rather than just allies, but knowing that both of us can survive makes me feel much better. I still don't want to get too attached, because there's still the chance that one or both of us don't make it to the finale, but at least I can relax a bit. It's no longer inevitable that one of us dies.

Without Glitter and Vincent and the rest of the Careers looming over us, Noelani and I can now plot freely. Both of our clothes are still soaked from sleeping in the rain, so Noelani suggests we climb up the Cornucopia so the sun can warm us up. I doubt our clothes will dry much since it's already super humid, but at least we'll be warmed up. Despite the hot temperature, I'm slightly cold with wet clothes on.

We sit atop the golden horn, and I'm relieved that the metal isn't too hot to touch, despite the sun shining on it. I suppose rain clouds help the sun from shining for too long. The metal is the perfect temperature, where it will warm me up but not scald me.

We strip off our jackets, shoes, and socks (we ditched the hats a long time ago, along with the rest of the Careers. The only person who kept his was Luc, who seems to like it) and we lay them out in the hope they might dry off a bit. My thin shirt is still wet, and sticking to my skin, but I'm not taking that off.

On top of the Cornucopia, we have a pretty decent view of the arena. It's not fantastic since the Cornucopia isn't super tall and the trees grow higher further from our clearing, but it's better than the ground. I can see a mountain, not too far away (though, the walk would likely take a few days), but other than that, there are just trees as far as the eye can see.

"So where's the gem you found?" Noelani asks, as soon as we've gotten comfortable. I point in the general direction.

"Somewhere over there."

"What if someone finds the ruby before us?" Noelani asks nervously.

"There are two others, and if those are taken, we can just kill whoever has a gem," I say simply. Noelani nods and leans back so that she's looking up at the sky. We sit in silence for a few minutes, then I ask, "what's District 4 like?"

Noelani's quiet for a moment, then responds. "Sometimes it's great. Other times, not so much."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's the part of District 4 that's filled with people. There are always fishermen and vendors everywhere, so the whole place, especially town, reeks of fish and blood. And it's really crowded, and people are sometimes rude. But then there's also the less inhabited parts of District 4, with the beaches and ocean. It's really pretty, especially at sunset. The sun sets on the horizon, at the edge of the water, and makes it look kind of golden. And the Victor's Village is _right_ up against the water. Elevated, of course, so it won't flood. But it's kind of secluded and really pretty and I've always looked forward to living there…" Noelani falls quiet.

"What?"

"I just realized I won't be able to live in the Victor's Village if I survive," Noelani says quietly.

"Oh," I say nervously. I'm afraid Noelani will want to win and want _me_ to get the gem and her to win. Or, even worse, have the victory all to herself. But after a moment, Noelani smiles at me.

"It doesn't matter," Noelani says. "I'll be alive, I don't need a fancy house in the Victor's Village." I immediately feel myself relax again. _Good…_ _so I_ will _still get to both win, and have Noelani survive._

 _If we make it_ , I remind myself. I can't let myself get too confident that we'll both make it to the finale, because it's still a long way off.

"Do you think it should just be us?" Noelani asks after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… do you think we should add Luc to our alliance?"

I consider this for a moment. "I like Luc. He's sweet, but… would we be getting him a jewel, as well?"

"Hopefully," Noelani shrugs.

"Well… The problem is that we don't know where the others are. And it would feel wrong to have him help _you_ get a jewel, and then just hope we somehow manage to find another jewel, so he can live along with the two of us."

"So you don't want Luc as part of our alliance?"

"No, I'd like for him to be part of our alliance… I just think we shouldn't invite him yet. Maybe we could try to find out where another jewel is first, or maybe we should just decide whether it's worth it," I explain, slightly unsure.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

I scramble up the side of the riverbank, coughing the water out of my lungs. My water-logged clothes weigh me down, but I crawl to shore.

After being shoved into the river, I nearly drowned. Even if I was an experienced swimmer, I doubt I could have swum to safety. The water was so fast, it was barely possible to keep my head above water long enough to get air. I floated downstream quite a bit before reaching a giant rock sticking out of the water. I climbed aboard, so I was at least partially above water and the immediate threat of drowning was past me.

But the rushing water prevented me from swimming to shore, so I was forced to stay on the rock all night long until I finally decided to risk the swim this morning. I just barely managed to get to shore before getting swept away again, but now I'm safe again.

I flop on my back in the mud, allowing my lungs to take in as much water as possible. Unfortunately, I'm probably really far away from the District 3 girl now… if she's even still alive. The water was too loud to hear a cannon. I cut off the entire lower half of her arm, so I doubt she's in good condition even if she is somehow alive.

I want to carry out my kill, but the walk would probably take a long time and I don't really think it's worth it. It's probably better if I just try to find another tribute to hunt.

When I've regained my breath, I sit up and take inventory of my supplies.

I'm missing a shoe and my hat, but all of my other clothes are still here. Soaked, but intact. My sleeping bag is still here, but it so soaked, I'm not sure if it has any more use. I have all of my water supply, but I've had enough water for today. My food seems fine since I have those weird food packs that are in air-tight packages.

My biggest loss is the weapons I were holding onto. My whip and dagger are gone, either left with the District 3 girl or let go of in the river. All I have left is my extra dagger, which is tucked into my belt. At least I have something. This is why it's always good to carry a back-up knife.

I pull the backup knife out of my belt and turn it around in my fingers.

 _Man, I wish I had my other knife_. It was larger, and has a serrated edge. This one will work fine because it's sharper, but that also means less torture for the next unfortunate tribute to cross my path.

I stand up, slinging the wet sleeping bag back over my shoulder. While the sleeping bag itself may be useless, it's also holding my supplies so I can still use it in lieu of a backpack. I don't pack away my dagger, though. I don't know how far I am from all of the action, so it would be foolish to not have a weapon at hand.

The trees aren't actually super dense in this area, but there's mist so thick and strong that I can barely see six feet in front of me. I don't think I'd be able to see anyone approaching, so I'll need to depend on my ears.

Carefully, I begin moving deeper into the forest. Luckily, my natural stealth helps me walk through the forest quietly. I doubt anyone would hear me approaching, and if they did, they'd probably pass it off as a harmless animal or something.

It doesn't take me too long until I find a clearing. At first, I'm about to walk into it, but then I manage to make out the shape of the Cornucopia through the thick mist. I quietly curse and back up behind a tree. I can't see any Careers, but I doubt they'd leave all of their supplies alone.

However, I don't think all of them are lounging around inside the Cornucopia. They likely left one or two of their most incompetent members to guard the Cornucopia and the rest took off. I'm currently facing the back of the Cornucopia, so even through all of the fog, I wouldn't be able to see who's inside.

I consider attacking. I scored an 8 in training, and the Careers guarding probably scored the same. If I attacked, I'd have the element of surprise, as well. I don't think it would be overly risky. And if I saw someone inside the Cornucopia that I _do not_ want to fight, I'll just run. The fog will likely conceal me, as will the tall grass around the Cornucopia (although, most of it has been trampled by the Careers by now).

Quiet as a mouse, I crouch low and sprint over to the mouth of the Cornucopia. I'm not directly beside it, that would be stupid, I run as far to the right as possible while still being able to see it. When I'm far enough to see into the mouth, I duck down into the grass and begin searching for the Careers. I scan the interior of the Cornucopia, but I don't see anyone.

Confused, I look around, as if the Careers may be patrolling the edges of the clearing. I can't see all of the edges, but I don't think they are.

Then, I hear a girl's muffled voice. I can't make out what she's saying, but it's definitely coming from the Cornucopia. I look inside again, and then I notice the two girls sitting atop the Cornucopia. I can't see them very well, thanks to the mist, but since one of them only has one arm, I can deduce that one is the girl from District 4.

I smirk in satisfaction. Not only have they not noticed me, but it would be almost impossible to spot me through the fog even if they knew I was here. They seem distracted with their conversation, so I take this as a great time to run into the horn. I race in my crouched position until I've reached the Cornucopia, and slip inside.

It's less foggy in here, and the grass is mostly dry. I can hear the girls chatting away above me. Once again assured that they have not yet noticed me, I begin to look through all of the supplies.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the Careers are too well off in terms of supplies, either. I recall that at the Bloodbath, supplies were sparse, but I assumed they'd have more than the meager display I see here. But's it's still better than nothing.

I only manage to find one pack of food and a carcass of some small animal that they forgot to throw out. I take the package, but leave the carcass. At first, I think my quest for food has ended, but then I realize I should look through the satchels. In the first satchel, I find a sleeve of crackers, a dagger, and a bunch of other crap. I take the dagger and crackers. In the second satchel, I find another sleeve of crackers and two full water bottles. I don't really need water, but I realize after some consideration, that taking the water is worth it, if it means the Careers don't get it. The last satchel only has a bunch of random, useless items, so I empty it out and take the satchel.

I move all of my new supplies into the satchel and then swap the supplies from my sleeping bag into the satchel as well. After a moment, I leave the sleeping bag. It's so wet, there's not much use for it. I take two blankets from the Careers' stash. The Careers will immediately notice the sleeping bag, but that kind of makes it better. I take all of their important supplies and leave a useless sleeping bag in return to rub salt in the wound.

The rest of the Careers' supplies is crap. I assume all of their good weapons are on them because the only weapons left on their racks are a shocking amount of whips and a single lasso. I don't know how to use a lasso, but I'm glad to regain a whip. I take one, but that probably won't impact them too much. Luckily, I've already caused a major dent in the little supplies they possessed. They have a bunch of water bottles, but they're all empty.

After one more scan, I decide it's time to leave. I pause, straining my ears, and breathe out a sigh of relief when I hear the girls continuing to chat atop the Cornucopia. One of them lets out a low chuckle, and I immediately recognize her as the District 1 female. During training, when I threatened her, she simply laughed at me with the same chuckle. That means the girls from 1 and 4 are the ones on the roof. And they clearly have no clue I'm stealing all of their supplies.

Grinning slyly, I slip back out of the Cornucopia. _It's too easy._

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

"Why is it so misty?" Lucretius wonders aloud as we trek through a particularly foggy section of the arena.

"Because it's raining," Trajan replies, and I glare at him. For some reason, Trajan needs to have a smart-ass reply to every single comment or question someone makes. It's really annoying, especially when we're all starving and tired from walking all morning. I can see the sun, thanks to the rain and fog, but I suspect it's somewhere around noon.

Trajan speed-walks ahead of us, until he's far ahead, and then returns to a normal pace.

"Where are you going?" I call over to him.

"Away from you," he calls back.

"Why are you so grumpy?" Luc asks him. "Come on, cheer up! It's a boys' day out!"

"Jesus Christ," mutters Trajan.

"I'm _kidding_ ," Luc responds, chuckling slightly. We make eye contact, and his infectious smile gets to me. I can't help but return a grin.

"What are you laughing about?" Trajan demands, spinning around. Luc laughs even harder when he sees Trajan hair, which he hasn't bothered to smooth down after this morning. It still sticks up on one end. "I swear, I'll skewer you with this spear," Trajan hisses, walking back over to us. Luc glares at him, but looks slightly frightened.

"Hey, calm down," I say, stepping between the two. I don't think Trajan would actually be stupid enough to kill Luc right now, but I'd still like to prevent the opportunity. My grip tightens on the handle of my sword, just in case Trajan does try to attack.

Trajan opens his mouth to respond, but just as he does, an arrow shoots past his face and imbeds itself in the mossy tree next to us. Shocked, we all turn to look into the mist. I didn't think there were any bows in the arena, so the only way someone could have one was from a sponsor gift.

The mist covers the archer's silhouette for a second, and then it fades, revealing a small boy, who's notching another arrow.

"Is that a tribute?" Trajan asks. I don't recognize the boy either. He looks about fifteen, slim with tanned skin. He's not wearing one of our arena outfits, he's bare-chested.

"Definitely not," Luc replies. The boy calls out in some foreign tongue, and suddenly, a large group of adults dressed the same as him come charging out of the mist. They all have some sort of weapons and wear matching expressions of anger, directed at us.

"Run!" I shout and take off in the opposite direction. I hear Luc and Trajan following me, but they're nearly drowned out by the thunder of our pursuers, as they chase us and shout stuff at each other in a language I don't recognize.

Unfortunately, none of us are particularly fast. I'm average speed, but Trajan and Luc are both kind of slow. Luc's actually quick on even terrain, but his clumsiness holds him back a lot. He keeps pulling ahead, then stumbling over roots and falling behind again. When he takes a nasty trip over a log, I stop to help him up.

Trajan, the helpful guy he is, runs ahead of us, shouting "farewell, fools!" as he leaves us in his dust. I yank Luc to his feet, but there's a large tear in one leg of his pants and a nasty cut. I look over my shoulder at the group behind us. Maybe fifteen people are charging at us, mostly male. One man, a ginormous guy with tan skin and long black hair yells something at us.

Then, in choppy English, he manages to say, "where is it?"

I don't have time to respond, because an arrow flies directly toward my face. I duck just in time, and I think it skims my hair. Not wanting to try and converse with these people, I begin to run again, dragging Luc along behind me.

"Ah, my ankle!" Luc exclaims. I ignore him, and continue pulling him through the jungle as he lets out cries of pain and continues to stumble over rocks and roots. I can see Trajan ahead, still running without looking back, and then he takes a sudden right turn.

I pull Luc in that direction, but he falls to the ground again. I kneel down beside him, ready to drag him along with me.

"I can't run!" he yells at me.

"Well, we're not going to walk!"

Luc looks at the approaching crowd with tears in his eyes. "Just leave me."

"No!" I immediately shout out. "I'll carry you, but I'm not going to leave you." Luc looks at me in shock, but I throw him over my shoulder in fireman's carry and stand up, groaning under his weight. Even though he hasn't eaten much in the past few days, his muscles make him pretty heavy.

I can manage, though. I've lifted weights every day for Hunger Games training, I'll just put it to good use now.

I take off, but the chasers are close behind. I don't stumble over anything, but Luc slows me down considerably. It's not helping that he won't stop shouting in my ear to put him down. I ignore him. When I reach the point Trajan was at, I also take a sharp right turn. To my surprise, it leads us to a giant cave.

Did Trajan go in here? It seems like it will just end in death or a dead end. I spin around to see how close the crowd is. They're directly behind us. But, to my surprise, they've stopped dead in their tracks. They glare at us, but begin to back up.

My mouth gaping open, I retire into the cave. It looks like they're too afraid to go in here, which is extremely fortunate luck for Luc and I. Hopefully they'll decide to leave rather than wait us out.

The cave is dark, so I can't see how large it is. I back farther into it, and when we're decently deep into it, I lower Luc to the ground.

"I told you not to carry me," Luc mutters, his face flushed.

"Well, we survived, didn't we? Or would you have rathered d-"

I'm cut off with a warlike scream, and I see a spear coming directly at me. I automatically knock it away, and Trajan comes stumbling out of the darkness.

"Are you ditching and killing us now?" I ask him angrily.

"I thought you were one of the people chasing us," he mutters, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes. I roll my eyes.

"Thanks for helping us, by the way," I say.

"Hey, I was doing the smart thing!" Trajan exclaims. "Not all of us want to risk our lives for the most annoying kid in the Hunger Games!"

"First of all," Luc says, sitting up, "I'm not the most annoying kid in the Hunger Games. I think we all agree that title belongs to Glitter." Trajan shrugs in concession. "Second of all, you didn't have to shout, ' _farewell, fools'_ as you ditched us."

"Where did the people go, by the way?" Trajan asks, completely avoiding Luc's comment.

"They didn't want to enter the cave," I explain.

"Why?"

"I don't know," I answer, shrugging. "It's dark, kind of creepy, and maybe they thought there was something living in here." Luc's eyes widen at the last suggestion.

"Wait, how do we know there isn't?" he asks, panicked. I pause, realizing he's right. I struggle to come up with a reassuring answer but come up short.

"Should I search for something?" I finally ask.

"No, no…" Luc says. "But keep your sword ready." He scoots over to me, holding his spear out.

"Should we wait here?" I ask.

"I guess," Trajan shrugs. "I need to talk to you, by the way."

"About what?" I ask, completely confused.

"Leadership strategies."

Luc bursts out laughing, and Trajan glares at him.

"Okay, Luc. If I need any help with being a mindless lackey, I'll come to you," Trajan barks, which shuts Luc up. Trajan turns back to me, finally smoothing down his hair. "So? Can I talk to you?"

"I guess," I sigh. Trajan grins.

"Okay, so first of all, you shouldn't leave Cecelia and Noelani alone. Ever. I'm about 99% sure that they're plotting to ditch us at the first opportunity."

"I've been doing that," I reply. "In case you haven't noticed, I haven't allowed them to go hunting alone yet, and I left them with Glitter and Vincent today. Also, I trust Cecelia. She has too much reason to ditch us so early in the Games."

"Ha! _Reason_. Good one. Anyway," Trajan begins, but is cut off by Luc's scream.

I spin around in panic, and see a giant cobra slithering toward him. Luc immediately leaps to his feet, but falls back down as his ankle gives way. He lets out a scream as the cobra hisses, then launches itself at him.

Luc screams even louder, trying to attack the cobra, whose fangs are imbedded in his stomach, with the spear. However, the spear isn't much use against the cobra.

Remembering that I need to help, I leap into action. I slam my sword down on the cobra, instantly beheaded it. Luc sobs as he pulls the head away from his stomach. The snake's head is even larger than his fist, and the fangs are the size of his fingers.

"I can feel the venom," Luc exclaims.

"Trajan, suck out the venom! I'm going to see if there are any other snakes!" I demand. Trajan stares at me in shock.

"You want me to suck on that wound?" he repeats, sounding shocked.

"Yes! And you'd better do it, or I'll behead you the same way I did with the snake."

Trajan obediently rushes over to Luc and begins trying to suck out the venom, looking extremely disgusted and annoyed as he does so. I venture further into the darkness, but it's difficult to see. I don't find any other snakes, but I don't want to stay here.

I walk back over to Luc and Trajan. Trajan's kneeling next to Luc, his face pale.

"Did you suck out the venom?" I ask angrily.

" _Yes_ ," he spits back. He points at a puddle of green-tinted blood next to the two as proof. I nod, satisfied. I rush over to Luc. His snake bite is still bleeding heavily and he's crying in pain. I pull his torn shirt back, revealing two extremely deep puncture marks in his gut.

Even if Trajan managed to remove all of the venom, it's still a pretty bad wound. It looks deep, and it likely punctured an organ. Probably the stomach. It's not bleeding a ton, but the blood is very dark and thick as it runs out of his body in a steady stream.

"We have to get him back to camp," I decide, swinging one of his arms around my neck.

"What?" Trajan gapes at me. "But… but he's dying!"

"Maybe we can get a sponsor first. But I don't want to stay in here, in case there are more muttations."

At the mention of more muttations, Trajan leaps to his feet. "Okay, fair point. Let's go."

"Help me carry him," I demand, standing up. Luc dangles beside me. To my horror, I realize he's passed out. I quickly raise two fingers and feel his pulse. It's still there, but slowing. Trajan stands still. " _Trajan_."

Reluctantly, he loops Luc's other arm around his neck and we begin to carry him out of the cave. I'm glad to see the pursuers are no longer waiting for us.

"What if they're hiding around the bend?" Trajan asks nervously.

"I'd rather risk them than the snake. And Luc's not doing well, we need to get back as soon as possible."

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

I'm trying to ignore the pain in my arm, but it's impossible, even on all of the pain killers. The remains of my fire smolder in the center of the cave, sending a few tendrils of smoke into the air. I clench my eyes shut, trying to look anywhere but the mangled stump of my arm. The other half is probably sitting outside in the rain.

I feel bile rising in my throat again, but I manage to keep it down. Shakily, I use my remaining hand to grab a bottle of water. I've been smart enough to keep it uncapped, so all I need to do it clumsily raise it to my lips. I take a long gulp. I lost a lot of blood, but I have a pretty large supply of water thanks to the waterfall and rain.

I'm currently sitting in the ground-level cave directly behind the waterfall. It's not too big, but big enough to spread things out a bit. It's not like I'm moving around, anyway. I'm mostly concealed behind the shimmering screen of water, but I don't think it matters much. Most people wouldn't spend three days walking all the way to the waterfall. I don't think anyone else walked in this direction besides Dennis and I, and I think he got washed away by the river.

I hope he did, because if he manages to find me (which he will, if he's nearby) I'm a sitting duck. I've been lying in the same place for a full day, and I don't plan on moving any time soon. I know I will, after I regain a bit of strength, but for now I'm just sitting in place, trying to ignore the pain, and get some sleep.

After Dennis cut off half of my arm yesterday, I passed out from blood loss. I regained consciousness shortly after and got a sponsor gift with matches, a knife, some disinfectant, and a first-aid kit. I started a fire and cauterized the wound, which was excruciating. It was almost worse than getting my arm cut off, because I had to do it myself. I had to keep myself conscious for long enough, which was extremely difficult. I failed at that goal multiple times, but managed to complete the task.

Afterward, I just past out and tried to avoid looking at my left arm for longer than necessary. Luckily, I'm right-handed, but that doesn't seem to matter much at the moment. I hope Ada isn't watching. In fact, I hope she hasn't watched any of this yet. Eddie wouldn't let her, right?

I clumsily reach for the bottle of painkillers again. I know I shouldn't waste them, especially since they're so strong. Capitol meds numb the pain so much, I can barely feel my arm. But they fade quickly, so I have to deal with the pain again after a short few hours. I only received a bottle of five, so I've tried to be sparing. I'm already down to my last few.

I pour one of the final painkillers into my palm and consider it for a moment. I could have this now, and dull the pain, or take it later, when I'm trying to get some sleep.

While I'm thinking, a sharp pain shoots up my arm again.

 _Okay, I'll have this now_ , I immediately think, and swallow it with the help of another gulp of water. It will take a moment to set in, but I can relax now, knowing the pain will recede soon, even if temporarily.

At least I'm alive. That's more than some tributes can say.

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

 _BOOM!_

Cecelia and I exchange a look - that's the first cannon today, and it could be any one of our allies. Glitter and Vincent, and Glorian, Luc, and Trajan haven't returned yet. It's been just Cecelia and I all morning. It hasn't been bad, in fact, it's been a major relief to be apart from everyone else, but I'm concerned about my allies.

Specifically, Luc.

"Do you think that's…?" I begin, but I can't find the words to continue. Cecelia shakes her head, guessing what I was about to say.

"I'm sure it's not him," she replies. "He's with Glorian and Trajan, who are both pretty strong. I don't think he'd die. If it's any of the Careers, it will probably be Glitter. Fingers crossed," she says, laughing nervously. I smile, but don't laugh, my thoughts preoccupied. Cecelia uncomfortably clears her throat. "This is probably a terrible time to ask this, but, um… is there anything going on between you and Luc? Like, romantically?"

Now I laugh a bit.

"Haha, no. He's more like a little brother."

"Okay, good," Cecelia says. "I mean, it's good because romances are complicated in the Hunger Games, right? Like, you don't want to get super attached to someone and then have them die. Like the two from District 9 last year. They were cute, yes, but it got complicated and now… now they're both dead." Cecelia's blushing heavily and looks really flustered.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I respond. "There's nothing romantic between Luc and me. I suppose it's good he Volunteered, though, because otherwise, I'd be with Mercury, and we may or may not have had something between us. But I don't think it matters as much this time. The idea that getting over-attached is a bad idea. Because multiple people can survive this time."

"I guess," Cecelia says. "But it's still not a guarantee we - they'll both live. They could still die, even if the possibility of two people living is there."

I feel a drop of rain splash on my forehead. The rain was really light before, so we didn't bother moving. But thinking about Luc dying made me realize how wet I was, and now I'm actually kind of cold. Which is not a problem I thought I'd encounter in this arena; so far, it's been sweltering heat and constant humidity.

"Maybe we should go back down into the Cornucopia," I suggest, pulling my jacket over me for warmth. Cecelia nods in agreement, and we slide off the Cornucopia. My feet hit the wet ground, and I'm surprised the amount of fog hovering down here. Luckily, there's no fog inside the Cornucopia and it's still mostly dry.

I immediately notice something new on the ground, and I walk over to it as Cecelia enters the horn.

"What's this?" I ask, lifting what appears to be a sleeping bag. "Was this here before?"

"I don't know…" Cecelia frowns. "Why are there only two satchels now?"

I look at the corner where all of the satchels are supposed to be, and as she said, there are only two. I feel my heart plummet.

"How much food do we have left?" Cecelia asks. I rush over to the corner where the food and water is stored, and I see nothing but a bunch of empty water bottles. I freeze, looking at the empty spot where the last package of food was. "How much?" I hear Cecelia ask nervously behind me.

"None…" I whisper.

Cecelia groans. I turn around in time to see her fall to the ground, pulling on her dirty blonde hair. She stares blankly at the grass, terror evident in her face.

"Glorian is going to kill me," she murmurs, staring at the ground.

"No, he isn't," I assure her, without much confidence. I walk over to her and wrap my arm around her in my best comforting gesture. She looks up at me, her big brown eyes full of fear and doubt.

"Noelani, Glorian left me in charge. He gave me two simple instructions; don't let Glitter and Vincent wander off by themselves, and don't let anything happen to the food. That's literally the two things I ended up doing. I let Glitter and Vincent leave, which will be evident when I try to explain why no one noticed the food being stolen, and the food was stolen _literally directly under us_." Cecelia groans and covers her face with her hands.

"Just blame everything on Glitter. That sounds fun, right?"

At first, Cecelia doesn't respond, and then she begins laughing. "That _is_ tempting. But… but I should probably be honest with him. You wouldn't let him kill me, right?"

I know she's joking, but I still say, "Of course. I'll protect you with my one arm." Cecelia laughs and hugs me back, holding onto me tightly. "But seriously - he wouldn't kill you. Glorian's pretty loyal. He'll definitely be mad, but… you saved him from that leopard, right?"

"Jaguar," she corrects, but nods.

"Then he won't kill you. He'll see it as paying back the favor. You save him, and he spares his life."

"How do you know that?" Cecelia asks me, sounding genuinely curious.

"I don't. But it makes sense, doesn't it?" I ask. Cecelia nods.

"Remember that beef jerky I got from a sponsor last night?" she asks, and I nod. "Maybe we could snack on it until they return. I'm hungry - I haven't eaten all day."

"Good idea."

Cecelia stands up to get it, when we hear Glorian shouting in the distance. Cecelia's face pales instantly. I leap to my feet and rush out of the Cornucopia.

I can see three silhouettes through the mist and heavy rain, but it's impossible to see anything other than that. Despite the fact that it's still gray, the stormclouds make everything dark.

I wait where I am, letting the rain soak my clothes again. I have a bad feeling - it looks like the shorter figure is being carried, and that can't be good. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Cecelia stand next to me.

Glorian and Trajan step out of the fog wearing solemn expression. They're carrying a pale, motionless Luc between them. I'm scared, and then I see the rip and blood on Luc's shirt. My heart drops even lower than it was before.

Trajan and Glorian carry Luc over to the Cornucopia, where they lay him down. Not inside the Cornucopia, outside, in the rain. I kneel down beside him, at a loss for words. Despite the rain pouring around me, my throat feels dry. Glorian sits down on his other side, while Cecelia and Trajan stand slightly away from us.

I look down at the wound in his stomach and shakily peel back his shirt. There are two, extremely deep puncture wounds. I avert my eyes, not wanting to look, but they end up on his face, which is even worse. His skin is pale, and his brown eyes staring unblinkingly at the sky.

"Is he…?"

"Yes," Glorian responds. I look up at Glorian, and to my surprise, he looks like he's trying not to cry. Maybe he is crying - I can't tell through the rain. Even more surprising, I don't feel like crying at all. I don't know why, but… there aren't any tears. I feel someone wrap their arm around me and I jump, but it's just Cecelia.

The most surprising thing thus far; Trajan walks around until he's kneeling at Luc's head. He uses his hand to close Luc's eyes.

We sit in silence, in the rain, staring at Luc's corpse, until a hovercraft appears above us and collects him with a giant metal claw. Even after he's gone, none of us move. None of us speak.

Not even Trajan.

* * *

 **Two things;**

 **First, I have a new poll for Day 4. It will have the most recent death, simply because it's including everyone who was alive at the** _ **start**_ **of Day 4.**

 **Second, I was going to raise the sponsoring items, but when I tried, I realized I was making them way too high for so early in the Hunger Games, so I'm going to wait a bit longer. I'll let you know when I do, but this is a warning - they won't stay at the current places for much longer.**

 **What did you think of this death? I'll explain reasoning in the eulogy next chapter, but this was a pretty tough choice.**

 **I know this chapter was mostly Career-centric, but they had most of the drama. The next chapter will have more of the other alliances.**

 **\- Lilah**


	44. Day 4: Part 2: What's to Lose?

**This is kind of an uneventful chapter (hence the length) but some important things still happen.**

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

My conversation with Arabella is interrupted the moment we hear a loud scream from nearby. We both jump off of the log in panic, reaching for our weapons on impulsive.

"Tristana! Arabella!" Rachel calls, and we rush over to her with our weapons in hand. I leap over a log and turn a tree to see Rachel standing triumphantly under a boy, who's dangling from one foot in the tree.

I set a bunch of traps around our camp last night, without any real expectations. Tributes usually don't wander into traps, considering the size of the arena. So it's surprising that a tribute somehow managed to walk into my poorly constructed snare. All I did was use some of the rope we had in our knapsack to construct a small trap.

The boy, who I can't identify from the angle, grasps for the rope around his foot desperately, trying to get down. It's not really working.

"Tristana? The crossbow?" Rachel asks, holding out her hand expectantly. I hesitate.

"Are you sure we should kill him?"

At the sound of the word _kill_ , the boy looks at us in terror. He makes eye-contact, and I can finally mark him as the District 9 boy. _Axel's ally_ , I remember.

"Where's Axel?" I demand.

"I'm not telling you," the District 9 boy spits, still clawing at the knot of rope around his ankle.

"Did you ditch him?" I ask. He falls silent and begins flailing to escape. Rachel holds out her hand for the crossbow again, and I'm about to hand it to her when I hear a rustling from the bushes. I spin around just in time to see a small, dark-haired boy emerge from the shrubbery.

"Tristana?" asks Axel. I walk over to him carefully, avoiding the rest of the traps I set up earlier.

"Remember our truce?"

"Of course," Axel says. "And, can that apply to our allies as well, because… I don't think I can survive without Hadley."

"Obviously," I say. Turning to Rachel, I yell, "Cut him down!"

"Should Hadley and I just… leave?" Axel asks.

"No, no! Let's have a truce tonight. You guys can hang out in our camp and we can share supplies. We don't have much food left, but we do have water, and I'm guessing that between the six of us, we should be able to catch or gather some food for tonight."

"Really?" Axel asks, grinning. I look around at everyone else. Arabella is the only one who looks pleased with the idea. Everyone else; Rachel, Yael, and Hadley, all are wearing identical looks of skepticism.

"Hey, Tristana?" Rachel asks, tugging on my arm.

"Yeah?"

Rachel glances around at our audience, and lowers her voice.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asks nervously. "I know you trust your District partner, but the rest of us don't know him and… I'm not so sure about his ally."

"Don't worry!" I laugh. "Axel wouldn't hurt us."

"That's what you said about the District 7 boy."

"And he didn't hurt us, did he?"

"He would have, had he had the opportunity!"

"You don't know that!" I say. "I'm the one who knows Axel and Vincent, you barely know their names! So don't act like you're completely confident that everyone else in the arena has bad intentions."

"Tristana, we're in the Hunger Games. It's every man for himself. If people can find a good way to get ahead, they'll take it. Even if it means killing their District partners," Rachel hisses, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes.

"Oh yeah?" I ask, and she nods. "If that's what you believe, how do I know that you're not plotting to betray us?"

Rachel's at a loss for words.

"Well, well… Because…" she begins but falls silent.

"I guess Axel's staying here tonight, right? Now, would someone please cut Hayden down?" I demand.

"Hadley," the boy corrects. Arabella quickly scales the tree and uses her dagger to cut him down. He hits the ground in a crumpled heap. He jumps to his feet, dusting himself off. "Okay, well… I'd like to clarify that I'm not planning on betraying any of you… I just want to put that out there."

"See?" I smirk at Rachel, who rolls his eyes.

"Fine. But if you wake up in the middle of the night with a knife in your gut courtesy of Hayden -"

"Hadley!" he corrects.

"Don't blame me," she finishes.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

"We should probably head back soon," Glitter remarks absently. She's leaning against a tree, eating some berries I found. It bothers me that I've been the only one able to find food for our group thus far, and everyone else is enjoying the spoils. Yesterday, I spent hours picking berries by myself, and when I returned, I was forced to divide them among everyone in the Careers, leaving me with a meager handful.

Glitter's even worse. After I found a berry bush and stripped it (while Glitter sat back and did nothing), she decided to divide it between us "equally". She ended up getting about ⅔ of the berries only I picked, and all of the berries I was given were the over-ripe ones.

I sit on a rock, trying to scrape the rust off my sword with a sharp rock I found. It's a very slow process, but it's definitely sharpening my sword. I glance up at Glitter; she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and looks off into the distance.

Why did I join the Careers? I hate Glitter and the rest of the Careers. They're all bloodthirsty and are too stupid to get any food. The main reason why I decided to join the Careers (apart from the fact that they'd kill me if I did otherwise) was the promise of the best food and supplies in the arena. Every year I've seen the Hunger Games, the Cornucopia is practically overflowing with food and weapons and other items.

I wanted an axe. I desperately wanted an axe for the arena, because I knew I'd have a chance with it. Instead, I got this rusty sword.

I also wanted food. The Careers normally get three meals a day in the Hunger Games. We're not even getting one meal a day anymore. All I have are these overripe berries that Glitter rejected for herself.

And I wanted bearable allies. I know it was an unfair expectation since I was joining the Careers, but having to spend all of my time with Glitter is miserable.

I can't get an axe. There's barely any food left in the Cornucopia. But at least I can fix the alliance situation.

I inspect my sword carefully - it's still rusty, but it's sharp enough to do its job. I stand up off the rock.

Glitter's looking in the opposite direction, watching some animal climb a tree. She doesn't notice me sneak up behind her, holding my sword high. She glances back and notices me standing above her.

"Are we go -"

She notices the sword. Her mouth opens to scream, but she doesn't have time before I slam the blade into her neck.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

 _BOOM!_

The cannon startles everyone, and we all pause what we're doing. After a second, we return to our individual jobs. Yael and Rachel are working on a shelter, Hadley and I are trying to build a fire, and Axel and Tristana are getting ready to go hunting.

"Wow, that's the second death today," Hadley remarks.

"At least we know it's none of us," I say.

"Yeah," he says. "You know? There are very good odds that one of those cannons belonged to a Career. There were two, and besides us, there's only the Careers and two outer District tributes. I'd be surprised if both outer District tributes died hours within each other."

"Yeah. I hope it's a Career. None have died yet, so it's about time they start getting killed off. Or else we don't have a chance."

"If it's like last year, the Careers have probably disbanded by this point," Hadley laughs.

"Best case scenario, they've all been trapped under falling trees and are dying off one by one. By the end of the day, they're all dead," I say. "Fingers crossed!"

"That would be awesome," Hadley agrees. "Then, there'd only be two other people besides us! One of us could survive. Or four," he adds. I laugh, but don't really understand his comment.

"Four?" I ask. "Only one can survive the Hunger Games. It's a rule."

"Oh, you haven't found a temple yet?" he asks.

"What are you talking about?" I ask. Before he can tell me, Tristana and Axel interrupt us to announce that they're about to go hunting. I notice that Axel somehow acquired a new pair of shoes. Moments later, I see that Rachel's missing both boots. I'm guessing Tristana somehow convinced her to lend them to Axel. Rachel doesn't currently look too happy.

"All right, have fun!" Hadley calls after them. When Axel and Tristana disappear into the jungle, I turn back to Hadley.

"Okay, what were you talking about? How can four people survive?"

"I probably shouldn't have told you," Hadley chuckles. I glare at him. "But I will!" he assures me. He scoots closer, lowering his voice. "Basically, there are three temples around the arena. Each has a jewel inside, and the person who obtains it gets to go home. As long as they hold onto the jewel until the finale, they'll survive along with the Victor. But you can't transfer the jewel between people. The only way to switch who has the jewel is by… killing the current owner."

My mouths gapes open.

"Wait, so - my entire alliance could go home?" I ask in disbelief. Hadley immediately frowns.

"The only way to transfer jewels between hands is by _killing_ someone. Would you kill Axel?"

"Axel has a gem?" I ask. Hadley groans and curses under his breath.

"I didn't mean to let that slip, but yes, Axel does."

"I wouldn't kill him," I assure Hadley. "So only three of my alliance can return home?"

"I guess," Hadley shrugs. "But ideally, I'd survive as well."

"Okay," I say, rolling my eyes. "So two?"

"Yes," Hadley finally says. "Honestly, if I were to pick any two I'd want to win the Hunger Games with, I'd choose you and Tristana. Well, Axel already told me he wants Tristana to find a jewel as well. But I like you, and considering the fact that I just told you about jewels, I'd want you to get it."

"Thanks," I say, smiling in surprise. "Wait, so should I tell my alliance that we should search for jewels now?"

Hadley frowns. "Would they let you get the jewel?"

I pause, considering this. If I know Rachel, she'd likely have the two people who most _deserve_ the jewels get it. Meaning, she'd have her and Tristana take one. She… kind of considers me as a tag-a-long in this alliance. In her eyes, I'm not an asset. At least Yael knows plants and is pretty strong.

"Is that a no?" Hadley asks. I realize I haven't responded to him yet.

"I guess," I shrug, slightly disheartened. Hadley frowns and looks down. After a moment, he looks back up at me.

"Hey… would you want to join our alliance?" he asks.

"What?"

"Axel and I. If you don't think your current alliance will give you a jewel, we definitely will. And maybe Tristana could join us as well. I know Axel would like that. And then the four of us could survive together."

"I… I…" I begin, but I don't know what to say. The offer is tempting, but… I don't want to leave my current alliance! I trust everyone in it, and I would feel bad if I left them to join Axel and Hadley. "I'll… think about it."

I look down at the fire pit in silence. We still haven't made a fire. It's very difficult since we're basically trying to make a spark with my dagger and a rock. Then I remember something I probably should have remembered before.

"Wait, Rachel has a box of matches."

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Yael Harident**

* * *

Hadley Moreau sleeps in the center of the shelter, spread-eagled. His entire back is exposed, and his only weapon, a switchblade, lies several inches from his hand. He's fast asleep - I can tell because of his snoring. I roll my eyes, and turn over to my other side. I'm not able to get any sleep right now, and not just because of Hadley's snoring.

The voices won't shut up!

 _Kill him. He's fast asleep. He won't even notice. And no one's looking - they're all sitting around the fire. You could kill him, then sneak away as he bleeds out. You'll be gone before his cannon fires. And you're right next to all of the supplies. Literally. You have all of the backpacks right at your feet. It's dark enough that you could slip out of the shelter without anyone noticing. What's to lose from killing Hadley right now?_

"Shut up…" I mutter through clenched teeth.

 _Careful. He might hear you. You don't want to wake him up, do you? Then you'd miss your chance to kill him._

I do want to wake him up. Before I get the opportunity to kill him. But the voices prevent me from talking, much less turning over and shaking Hadley awake.

 _Quick. Your knife is right in front of you. Just a quick plunge of the knife into his back…_

I shiver, and mentally curse at myself as my hand starts inching toward the knife a few feet from my sleeping position. I have a feeling I won't be able to stop the voices this time. As long as Hadley sleeps, I'll kill him. I'm silently praying for an interruption right now. Because the voices won't make me kill if Rachel's watching. Or if Hadley's awake. They only try to kill when the opportunities are irresistible. When there are no possible downsides.

Except for my morals, of course. The voices don't care about those.

My prayer's answered when the Capitol anthem bursts through the arena loudly. Hadley jumps awake at the noise, and my hand shoots away from the knife.

"Anthem?" he asks me, blinking his eyes awake. I nod, and we both exit the sizable shelter, joining everyone else around the campfire.

It's probably about 10 PM now, but Hadley and I were the only ones trying to sleep. Axel was supposed to be keeping the first watch, but Rachel claimed she didn't trust him, so she decided to stay awake until his turn ended. As for Tristana, she decided to hang out with Axel while she could, since Rachel already proclaimed that they _had_ to leave in the morning. And Arabella was just too excited with the new company and food, she couldn't sleep so she wanted to stay up as well.

Tristana and Axel caught a wild pig and a lot of edible plants, so we've had quite the feast tonight. The pig was eaten almost immediately, but there are still some berries left, which the four are snacking on. I take a handful and nibble on those while watching the sky.

The Capitol emblem changes into the girl from District 2. A cheer rises from the group. I didn't know we were rooting for her death, but I join in after I realize everyone's ecstatic.

"The first Career gone!" Arabella cheers, and she and Hadley high-five.

The District 2 female (Shimmer?) is wearing a confident smirk that suggests she didn't expect her picture to end up in the sky. After a few moments of her grinning down on the arena, it fades into the picture of the boy from District 4. We cheer again, but it's a little less enthusiastic than it was for the District 2 female. Well, us girls are still thrilled. But Hadley and Axel are a little quieter.

"He let us go at the Bloodbath," Hadley explains after his picture has faded. "He saw Axel and me nearby but didn't run after us or point us out to any other Careers."

"He probably knew he wouldn't be able to reach you," Rachel reasons.

"Yeah," Hadley shrugs, looking unsure.

"It's still a Career death," Arabella points out. "That's better than us, or any other outlier."

"True."

"You know what I just realized?" Tristana asks, and everyone looks at her. "There are only four Careers left now."

"The strongest Careers," Rachel reminds her.

"Still. Four Careers are more than six."

"Oh, wow, really?" Rachel asks with mock surprise. Tristana frowns. "By the way, when do I get my boots back?"

"Oh, right. Sorry," Axel blushes, pulling the black boots off. "Thanks for letting me wear them."

Rachel doesn't respond, just snatches them back and pulls them onto her feet.

"Um… maybe we should sleep now?" Hadley suggests.

"And everyone, this time!" I add, not wanting to be given the opportunity to slaughter Hadley in his sleep. "Except Axel, of course."

Rachel's eyes widen nervously.

"I'll hang out with Axel a bit longer," Tristana says. "I'll make sure he doesn't kill you in your sleep, Rachel." Tristana rolls her eyes, but Rachel looks satisfied and trudges back over to our larger shelter.

 _It's not Axel she really needs to worry about, is it? It's you, Yael._

"Shut up," I whisper. My voice is low enough that no one notices. To my surprise, the voice doesn't say anything after that. Pleased that my head is finally silent, I run back over to the shelter. Maybe now I can get some sleep.

Rachel is the only one lying down, but Hadley and Arabella are walking over, behind me.

 _Kill Rachel. You still have time to run._

I groan in disappointment. My hand begins reaching for the knife, but I grasp onto it with my other hand. My hand twitches through my grip, but I don't let go. I can feel my hand itching to let go and grab the knife, but I grit my teeth and hold tightly.

 _Let go. Kill Rachel! Before -_

"You okay, Yael?"

Hadley's standing right behind me. I smile and nod, feeling my grip relax. I decide to sleep on the opposite end of the shelter, away from the weapons.

Maybe I can resist the voice. It's tough, but maybe with practice, I can resist it long enough to not betray my allies. Maybe I can die a good person?

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

"It's getting late. I think it's nearly midnight. Your turn to take watch will be over soon," Tristana reminds me, pointing to the moon overhead. It's just visible through the cracks in the branches.

"I guess. But we can always make it so your turn's next. Then we have another hour," I point out.

"Yeah," Tristana laughs, then her face grows solemn. "I wish Rachel would let us combine alliances."

"Yeah. But an alliance that big would probably be dangerous. We'd make up nearly half of the remaining tributes, so it would only be a matter of time before someone turned. I feel more comfortable in smaller alliances, with people I know and trust. Like you and Hadley…" I pause for a moment. "Are you _sure_ you don't want to join our alliance?"

"I'm sure," Tristana sighs, and my heart sinks again. "I'm sorry, Axel. I mean, I _want_ to, but I also want to stay with my alliance. And I can't betray them."

"Hadley said Arabella might join us," I add, hopefully. "If Arabella joined us, then half of your current alliance would join us. Then, it would be more like we combined alliances and Yael and Rachel were the ones that left _us_."

Tristana shakes her head. "I'd still feel guilty. And Arabella's not going to join you guys, no matter what she says or what she thinks. Arabella's very loyal, she wouldn't ditch us for you guys."

"I don't know. Hadley said that Arabella thought she wasn't being seen as an asset in your alliance. She thinks that if you turn on each other, she'll be the first to go."

"She thinks that?" Tristana frowns. I nod. "Well, I'll talk to her about that later. But regardless, she still wouldn't leave our alliance. When we were getting chased by monkey mutts, she repeatedly turned back to try and help the rest of us. She's way faster, so she ran ahead, but since she didn't want to leave us ahead, she returned and nearly got attacked by the mutts because of it. If she does that, I doubt she's going to leave our alliance."

"Well, that's better than Linen," I laugh, and then my voice dies. I glance down at my feet, feeling guilty for joking about my dead ally. I was never as close to her as I was to Hadley, partially because we were slightly suspicious she'd ditch us in an instant if her life was in danger. She did, but it didn't work out too well for her.

"Besides," Tristana continues, "it's not like it will make much of a difference anyway. Only one of us can live, it's not like we can all return home together."

"Oh!" I exclaim, suddenly remembering the twist. "We actually _can_!"

Tristana raises an eyebrow skeptically. I reach into my pocket and remove the carefully guarded emerald. I hold it out proudly, grinning from ear-to-ear. Tristana glances from me to the emerald, then shrugs.

"So? What is it?"

"This is my ticket home," I explain. "There are two others just like it, hidden somewhere in the arena. When found, they allow the finder to return home and survive the Hunger Games without winning. As long as I'm alive by the finale, I'm going home. Along with the Victor, and anyone else who has jewels. So four people can survive."

Tristana's jaw is nearly hitting the floor.

"Are you serious?" Tristana asks, taking the jewel from me and inspecting it.

"Yes."

"Has this happened before? Have the Gamemakers ever allowed multiple people home as a plot twist?" she asks. I shrug.

"Not recently, and I don't know much Hunger Games besides the ones I was alive to see. I find it difficult to believe that this is the first occurrence, though. In nearly 250 years of the Hunger Games, the Gamemakers must have had to invent new ways to keep the audience interested. I'm sure they're willing to miss out on a few deaths in order to improve the Games. They obviously don't do it too frequently, though, otherwise, we'd have heard of it."

"Wait, so if I steal this right now, I can go home?" Tristana asks, holding up the emerald.

"You -"

"I'm not actually stealing it," Tristana chuckles, rolling her eyes. "But hypothetically?"

"No. You have to kill the current owner in order to get control of the jewel," I explain.

"That's kind of gruesome," Tristana winces.

"Well, I'm sure the Gamemakers are trying to limit the odds that people actually have it by the end. They just want to spice up the Games, they don't actually care if extra tributes return home."

"That's true. Plus, they'd have to spend even _more_ on rewards."

"What do you mean?" I ask, my brows knitted.

"Well, if there are multiple Victors, then they'd need to reward each of them individually."

"Oh! I forgot to mention that part. The people with the jewels don't _win_. They just survive. So they kind of return to life as it was before the Reaping; no money, no house in the Victor's Village… not even mentorship duties."

"Oh. So you can't win now?" Tristana asks.

"I suppose not," I say. "Unless I lose the jewel or something, but I don't plan on doing that. I'm keeping a close watch on it. But I don't really care. I like my life in District 6, and I'm fine with returning to it. Especially if Hadley survives as well."

"Really? Not me?"

"Well, I want you to return as well, obviously," I say. "But Hadley's going to win. That was our deal. If you get a jewel, though, then all three of us can live! That's ideal. Well, it would be nice if Arabella or something got the last jewel. The more survivors, the better, and she seems pretty nice. But I want you to get the next jewel more."

"Thanks," Tristana grins. "It's reassuring to know we can both survive."

"Agreed. You know what? I'm actually starting to get a bit tired," I say. As if on cue, I let out a giant yawn. Which promptly makes Tristana yawn. "Maybe we should make Hadley guard now."

"Or one of the girls. Rachel would freak if she found out I let Hadley guard by himself," Tristana laughs.

"True."

"Here," Tristana says, tossing me the emerald. I carefully tuck it back into my pocket. I make sure it's as deep as possible before following her back into the shelter. "What happened to your shoes, by the way?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell it to you when we're both back in District 6."

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

The sky is almost pitch black tonight. The only light comes from the moon, but there are no stars visible. I vaguely wonder if it's intentional, or if the Gamemakers forgot them. Either way, it makes everything feel off. Which is fitting for tonight. The first night with Luc and Glitter feels weird. For extremely different reasons.

Under any other circumstances, I'd be thrilled over Glitter's death. But I'm too shaken up about Luc's to truly appreciate it. To be honest, barely any of us acknowledged it. We were all a little surprised, but it didn't seem like a huge deal compared to Luc's death.

Glorian obviously wasn't happy. He had just realized that all of our food was gone, so he was in a terrible mood when he realized Vincent likely killed Glitter. We're not positive he's the reason she's dead, but it doesn't seem far-fetched. He hated her, and it's unlikely one of the outlier tributes managed to beat her and Vincent in a fight.

The only upside to Luc's death was that it distracted Glorian from the food situation. He was upset with me, obviously, but it's shaken him up enough that he barely chewed me out and didn't even consider killing me. In hindsight, Noelani was right. He wouldn't have killed me. But I'm still glad I avoided his wrath.

I haven't mentioned that part, though, because I don't want it to seem likely I'm happy about Luc's death. Especially in front of Noelani. I've found that I'm becoming more and more aware of how she could possibly perceive each of my actions. I don't want to make her dislike me, which means I'm trying to be very careful about everything I say. Even if, logically, I know it could have no possible impact on our friendship, I still run it through my head multiple times to make sure. It's very unlike me.

I glance over at Noelani, who's sleeping a few feet away from me. Her auburn hair is splayed out in front of her face, so I can barely see her. I don't think she's asleep, though.

I'm not technically supposed to be keeping watch, but I kind of took it upon myself to take the first shift. Glorian didn't bother assigning shifts, so everyone just went to sleep. Except for me. I couldn't sleep. And I suppose Noelani woke up at some point, or never went to sleep, either. I've noticed that when she sleeps, she's either on her back or stomach. She never sleeps on her side, unlike how she is right now.

After some consideration, I scoot closer to her. She doesn't seem to notice me, even when I'm directly next to her. Her auburn hair is still blocking her face, so I brush it out of the way.

Noelani's eyes are shut, but the moment my hand touches her face, they open. She looks at me, and offers a small, sad smile. Neither of us speaks for a while.

"Are your eyes the same color as the ocean?" I whisper randomly. Realizing what I just said, I feel my face start to heat up. _This is why you have to think before you speak, Cecelia._ "Sorry, I've just… I've never seen the ocean before. So I was curious."

"They are," Noelani says simply.

 _The ocean must be beautiful, then_.

Luckily, I catch myself before I say that. Instead, I say absolutely nothing and create an awkward silence.

"You should try to get some sleep," Noelani finally whispers. "It's past midnight." I nod. To my surprise, Noelani moves even closer to me until her head's resting on my shoulder. She flips onto her back, so I assume she's actually going to try and sleep now.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I can hear her breathing gently beside me, and my heart speeds up.

 _Why are you so nervous around her?_

 _Because you have a major crush on her._

The realization makes me jolt back in shock.

"What?" Noelani asks, looking at me with her beautiful sea-green eyes.

"Nothing," I mutter. I move back over to her. When she rests her head back on my shoulder, I'm especially aware of my beating heart. I wonder if she can hear it. It's likely. My stupid heart is pounding against my ribcage like a drum.

 _Quiet down, heart!_ I think, then realize how stupid that thought is. Noelani is making me an idiot.

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M): Bit by a snake - Luc was a pretty popular character, and I really liked him. He was easy to write for and his interactions with other tributes were fun. Unfortunately, I didn't see him winning. He could have had the potential to go farther, but like Linen, I knew I'd just be dragging him along for an inevitable death. His death also kind of marks the point when the Careers get miserable. His submitter also had two tributes, so it was only a matter of time before one of them died; I thought that between Glorian and Luc, Glorian had more of a chance. Sorry for killing him, santiago. poncini20, but at least you still have Glorian!**

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Vincent  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Dennis**

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glitter Monique (D2F) - 1  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Noelani King (D4F) - 0  
Dennis Fielder (D5M) - 1  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 0  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 0  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1  
Arabella Cantros (D10F) - 0  
Yael Harident (D11F) - 0  
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	45. Leda Dashlon I

**The Capitol**

 **Leda Dashlon**

* * *

"Miss Dashlon?"

I look up to see a timid Gamemaker standing at my doorway.

"What?"

"The… the rest of the Gamemakers want to run a few ideas by you," the Gamemaker says. I strain my brain to try and remember her name, but it eludes me. "Miss Dashlon?" she repeats when I haven't answered.

"Call me Leda. Tell me, are you new to the Gamemakers?"

"I… I've been here for ten years," she responds. I sigh. "Why?"

"No reason. So the Gamemakers want to run some ideas by me?" I ask. She nods. I stand up, pushing a bunch of arena plans to the side. The Gamemakers are already sending me ideas for the 256th Hunger Games. Unfortunately, most of them are crap. One particular design is a simple pine forest. The Gamemaker who submitted it eagerly explained that it was unique _because_ the tributes would be expecting a twist, even though it was a simple forest. When that failed to impress me, he assured me that the arena was a classic and the audience would love it.

I would fire the man, but he's excellent at psychologically tormenting the tributes. Most of his arena ideas are terrible, and he's not great when it comes to mutt design either, but he always has a unique opinion. I might dock his pay a bit, though, because the 'Classic Forest' was an awful idea and completely wasted my time.

I follow the Gamemaker (maybe her name's Cynthia?) into the main Gamemaker room, where they're all debating wildly. A few are especially loud and seem super angry. Most Gamemakers get super into this.

"I've told you, send their families into the arena! It would be an excellent plot twist!" one of the Gamemakers shouts especially loud. It's the same man who submitted the idea for the 'Classic Forest'.

"Shut up, Charlie, you're already in enough trouble," I bark at him. He slinks back in his seat, looking slightly confused. "Come talk to me later, I want to discuss your arena idea. Anyway, I was told there were some ideas you wanted to run by me?"

"Yes!" Nestor Willabye runs up to me excitedly, pushing his glasses further up his nose. Technically, we can correct vision impairment nearly immediately, but there are some citizens like Nestor that are completely against any type of surgery. Personally, I think they're just wimps. "We have some ideas to spice the Games up tomorrow!"

"Why?" I ask. "There were two Career deaths today, I'd say that's pretty eventful."

"Yes, but we haven't had any arena events yet. No _Gamemaker interference_." I open my mouth to interrupt, but Nestor raises his hand. "I know you prefer the tributes to do their own thing, but the audience loves arena events. So just hear us out."

"Fine," I sigh. "What have you got?"

* * *

 **Yes, another short, uneventful Capitol chapter. I swear these things will get exciting soon, but for now, be prepared for more chapters like these.**

 **Also! A new poll for Day 5 is on my profile (unless you're reading this the minute I post, in which case, you might have to wait a few more minutes).**

 **EULOGIES:**

 **14th: Glitter Monique (D2F): Stabbed by Vincent Elm (D7M) - Honestly, this was an extremely easy death. There was absolutely no reason to keep her alive any longer. She was one of the most unpopular characters, her submitter wasn't reviewing, and she was even submitted as a Bloodbath. The only reason I kept her alive past the Bloodbath was because I found her interactions with the rest of the Careers fun and I thought it made sense later in the Games. You're welcome, everyone! XD**

 **\- Lilah**


	46. Day 5: Part 1: Nightmares for Wolves

**District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

 _I'm standing in the middle of the arena, but there's no one around me. The sky is a charcoal gray, and the trees loom eerily. The grass is dark and even more overgrown. It remains stationary in the windless night._

 _I stand still, staring at the jungle as if I'm expecting something. Suddenly, something wraps around my ankle._

 _I let out a startled shout and jump, beating away the cold gray hand that has snaked from the dirt and grabbed onto my leg. I shake it free, but the hand reaches farther and pulls an entire arm out of the dirt. I want to move, but I can't. My legs feel frozen to the ground at I watch a head and torso pop free of the earth, covered in dirt._

 _Lucretius pulls the rest of his body out of the ground, caked in mud. His skin is pale and hollow. His dark hair looks especially black as he drags himself over to me. He's wearing a soiled white suit, but there's a hole in his jacket. A red stain stretches across his stomach, right where he was bitten by that damn snake._

 _His mouth stretches into a grin as he pushes himself to his feet. He stands there, a corpse, staring at me while swaying ominously._

 _Finally, he says, "Did you really suck all of the poison out, Trajan?"_

 _I'm so startled, I can't move or speak in response._

" _We all know you didn't like me. It would have been an easy way to kill me, wouldn't it? To let the rest of the poison seep into my veins and pretend like you made an effort?"_

" _I-I…."_

" _What will you do now that Glitter is gone? She was your only ally. Everyone else hates you. They hated her, too, and look where she ended up. In the ground, just like me. Should we invite her, too?"_

 _I shake my head vigorously. I don't want to see Glitter as well… her hollow skin and muddy blonde hair…_

" _I suppose we shouldn't. After all, it's not your fault she died. You didn't kill her. You did kill me, though."_

" _I didn't kill you," I mutter._

" _You did kill me," he repeats. "And them."_

 _I hear the sound of dirt being knocked away behind me, but I don't turn around. I know what I'll see if I do. It doesn't matter where I look though, because moments later, the girl from District 8 and the boy from District 12 come stumbling into view. They stand on either side of Lucretius._

" _At least you know my name. But do you know there's? You murdered them. And you don't know their names. You call them by their District."_

" _They're sheep," I manage to choke out through my shock. "Their names don't matter. The wolves don't have to name the sheep before killing them."_

" _You and your animal metaphors," Lucretius laughs. "I used to find them scary. Now I just see how pathetic they are and laugh. You use them to cover up your real fear."_

" _Wolves don't have fears."_

 _Lucretius grins. "Then maybe you're not a wolf."_

I jolt away, breathing heavily. After a few seconds, I calm down. Frowning, I sit up. I don't have nightmares. Nightmares are for sheep. I've never had a nightmare before.

But that wasn't a nightmare. Because I don't have nightmares. Because I'm a wolf, not a sheep.

Standing up, I push my blanket aside. I crack my sore back as I look at the sky. It's still dark, but slightly orange in the distance, which means it's morning by now. I yawn loudly, but don't wake up everyone else…

Looking around, I'm once again reminded that it's just four of us now. Rather than seven of us crowding the interior of the Cornucopia, we have Glorian slumped against the wall (sword in hand, as usual) and Cecelia and Noelani in the back. There's no longer any Lucretius sleeping progressively closer to Glorian or Glitter sleeping snuggled up against an irritated Vincent.

The whole place looks empty without everyone else.

I need a walk to clear my mind. I don't take any of the supplies (not that we have much, anyway) to assure Glorian that I didn't ditch the Careers. All I take is my spear, and obviously my gun. I tuck the gun carefully into my belt but hold the spear in front of me.

Maybe I could find an animal and kill it. Then I'd have a nice meal. I haven't eaten in days and I'm starting to feel a bit woozy.

I leave the Cornucopia silently. There's a light gust of breeze which rustles the dewy grass. It's relaxing until I look up into the sky and see storm clouds. I'm hoping that it won't rain until I get back, but it wouldn't be too bad to be exploring the jungle while in the rain. Most of the branches provide a nice canopy, so I'll just get a little wet.

It won't be any harm.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

"Well…" Rachel begins, "I suppose you guys will be leaving now."

"Are you joking?" I inquire, yawning heavily. Rachel stands over my body, where I was literally just asleep. Axel's still half asleep, barely aware of what's going on. Moments ago, Rachel started yelling at everyone to wake up and then demanded we leave the campsite. "We literally just woke up. The sun's barely up."

"Yeah. I said you could stay until morning. Now you have to leave," Rachel says.

"But -"

"It's morning, isn't it?" Rachel asks, gesturing toward the sky.

"It looks like it's going to rain soon…" Axel begins, but Rachel shushes him.

"I know what you're doing. You're trying to use the weather as an excuse to stay in our shelter. But that's not happening. I still don't trust you, and I don't want you in my shelter longer than necessary."

"Your shelter?" I ask, jumping to my feet. "If my memory serves correctly, we _all_ built this. Axel and I included. We also agreed to _split_ in the morning. You never said anything about us leaving the campsite. If you want us to separate, then you have to leave. Axel and I have no problems staying here, and neither do the rest of your alliance. You're the only one with an issue."

Rachel looks around the shelter at the rest of her alliance, who've all fallen silent. They all seem very interested in mundane things as dirt and the branches making up our shelter.

"Well… they still will follow me if I leave. Right?" Rachel asks. At first, no one moves. Then, quite reluctantly, her three allies get to their feet. "Let's go. Pack up!" Rachel orders, and everyone begins packing their things up. Tristana, however, wanders over to Axel and me.

"She's gotten a lot less fun the longer we've been out here," Tristana remarks.

"And yet, you're still going with her?" Axel asks, sounding disappointed. Tristana nods.

"But maybe we'll find one of those gems. Then I can return home with you guys." Axel hugs Tristana tightly while I slink off to my supplies. I want to make sure no one 'accidentally' takes some of Axel and my stuff. I move over to Arabella, who's rolling up one of the sleeping bags.

"I'm guessing you're staying with your alliance?"

Arabella nods. "I considered it, but… I think I should stay loyal to them. Besides, we've done alright so far. Why should I ruin it now?"

"I expected this. But if you ever change your mind… Well, we'll be somewhere in the jungle. But how about we have a truce in case we run into each other?" I ask, earning a smile from Arabella.

"Okay. Truce."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise," she agrees. "No, Hadley, you have to do the movements as well. You can't just say, 'pinky promise'."

"I'm sorry, I don't know the rules," I roll my eyes as Arabella locks her little finger around mine. "Is the deal sealed now?"

"Yep."

"I hope you get a jewel," I tell her. She nods.

"So do I."

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

When the rain begins falling, I barely notice. Being in a rainforest arena, rain has constantly been falling since the Bloodbath. It hasn't been too heavy yet, fortunately. The most it has been is an annoyance; there hasn't been any flooding. And it gives us an unlimited supply of water, so dehydration isn't something I've had to worry about yet.

The giant leaves and branches above my head only allows a bit of water to get through, as well, so it's not much of a problem.

A few drops land near me, but the trees provide a lot of cover.

Suddenly, a tiny spot on my forearm begins burning. I yell and pull it in front of me. At first, I suspect a poisonous bug has bitten me, or something, but there's a small hole in the sleeve of my gray jacket. Underneath is a tiny spot of red skin, right where it burns. It's slightly smaller than that of a cigarette burn. I don't see any bug. I try shaking my arm, to see if it disappeared under the sleeve of my jacket, but nothing appears.

I'm about to dismiss it and continue walking when I feel another burn, this time on the back of my neck. My hand slaps at my neck, once again searching for a bug, but all I feel is my skin. I begin to feel sharp burns all over my body, and it's not until I look down at my shoes that I realize what's going on.

The rain must be acid. Everytime a drop lands on my shoe, it sinks through, burning a little hole in my boot. I glance up at the sky, which is a bad idea, since two drops land on my face - thankfully, none in my eyes. I immediately drop my head back down.

I lift my backpack slightly higher, to cover my head, and begin running through the forest. I feel more drops of rain burning my arms. At first, the pain was quick and fleeting. But now, with the quantity, it's not going away.

I skid to a halt when I reach a small stream. I immediately jump in, and then leap back out. The water, which I thought would comfort my burns, must have rainwater inside, because it hurts as well. It's not as bad, since the freshwater dilutes it a bit, but it still hurts.

I look down at my arms as rain patters down on them. The sleeves of my jacket are peppered in holes. The rest of my outfit has gotten burned, as well, but the sleeves have the worst. The rain seems to be getting stronger - stronger than any of the regular rain we've gotten.

I look around, trying to decide where to go, but the rain blocks my vision. Maybe I could try and hide in a tree trunk? It seems like the best possible solution right now. I try to begin my search for a hollow tree, but the rain is making it difficult to see at all. It doesn't help that I can't keep my head up and the pain is completely distracting me.

My foot catches on a root and I go crashing to the ground. I barely acknowledge the pain of falling, because the rain falls heavily on my back. I try to push myself back up, but my arms give way and I fall back to the ground, face-up this time.

The rain falls directly onto my unprotected face. My face burns badly, which is bad, but then I get the rain is my eyes, which is way worse. I immediately flip back over onto my back and start blinking heavily. Both of my eyes begin to tear up. _Not_ from crying. It's just a natural reaction… I think.

I pull myself over to the base of a large tree and curl up around the trunk. It's not hollow, but it provides some cover. I can barely move, so I don't think I'll manage to find a hollow tree. Especially since my left eye is blurring up. I can't see out of it right now.

The acid rain continues to drip onto me. It better end soon, or else I think I might die. And I definitely don't want a freaking storm to be the end of me.

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

"Do you think Trajan's stuck in the storm?" I ask, watching the rain fall heavily. Glorian, Cecelia and I are all sitting inside the Cornucopia, waiting for the rain to stop. Normally, a little bit of rain wouldn't stop Glorian from making us hunt for food (especially with the stock so low) but the rain is especially hard today.

Most of the showers we've had were very light, almost like a mist, but today it's pouring. I'd hate to be one of the tributes out in the open now. At least we have the Cornucopia, which is likely the most rain-proof shelter in the arena. Right now, all of us are completely dry. But if the rain continues, the Cornucopia would likely be the first place to flood.

"Who cares?" Cecelia asks, untying her ponytail. Her long blonde hair springs free, still slightly in position after sitting in the same ponytail for five days.

"I know Trajan's annoying, but it's probably best if we still have him. We're only at four Careers right now, and it's only day five," Glorian points out. "He's useful. And he scored a 10, we want him on our side."

"Fine," Cecelia mutters, looking disgruntled.

"Are you sure he didn't ditch us?" I ask Glorian. Glorian shakes his head.

"The only things he took were his weapons. If he was ditching us, he would have taken the supplies," Glorian says with confidence.

"What supplies? The rusty metal scraps or bits of cloth?" Cecelia mutters under her breath. Unfortunately, Glorian hears her and turns to glare.

"Well, we'd have more had you watched the supplies like I told you," Glorian hisses. Cecelia blushes and stays quiet. She begins trying to comb her greasy hair with her fingers.

"You should wash it in the rain first," I suggest. Cecelia nods in agreement and walks past me, over to the entrance of the Cornucopia. She reaches her hand out into the rain, and immediately recoils, shouting in pain. "What?" I jump up, rushing over.

"The rain burned me!" she exclaims. I don't believe her until I see the blister forming on her fingers.

"What?" I say in disbelief. Glorian appears behind us.

"What do you mean it burned you?" he asks, and she shows him her blistered hand. His dark eyes widen. Carefully, he sticks his hand into the rain. He hisses and yanks it back. Just like Cecelia, his fingertips are bright red. He doesn't have a blister, but it still looks painful.

"Why would you stick your hand out after I told you it burned me?" Cecelia asks.

"It's acid rain," Glorian announces, ignoring her. "I don't think it's enough to kill unless you stand out there for a long time. But it will still be very painful and cause injury."

"Wait so Trajan's caught in the acid rain?" asks Cecelia.

"You don't have to sound so happy."

"Here, let's wash it off," I suggest, pulling Cecelia over to the supplies in the back. She willingly follows, holding her blistered hand away from her body. I quickly shuffle through the few supplies we have remaining until I come across our final bottle of water, which is only filled half-way. Carefully, I pour a bit on Cecelia's hand.

"Are you using the rest of our drinking water?" Glorian demands.

"It's, like, two gulps," I tell him, rolling my eyes. "Besides, this is more important. We can get more drinking water next time it rains."

"What if it's just acid rain?" Glorian asks.

"That's not going to happen," I say, rolling my eyes.

"How do you know?"

"Well, tributes are either safe or in danger right now. As soon as everyone in danger gets to safety or is picked off, nothing interesting will happen and the Gamemakers will stop the acid rain."

"Ow!" Cecelia hisses as I pour a bit too much water onto her palm. I mutter an apology and begin looking through the rest of the supplies for bandages.

After a few minutes of searching, I realize we don't have any bandages. But we do have those small, random scraps of cloth that are just big enough for me to tie one around Cecelia's hand.

"Is that fine?" I ask her when it's mostly secured. She nods.

The three of us sit in a circle in the center of the Cornucopia.

"Well… I guess we're just trapped here for now."

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

"Axel, come on!" Hadley insists, pulling me toward the stone structure sticking out of the earth.

"No! I have a bad feeling about it," I tell him, trying to remain in place. However, Hadley's stronger and manages to pull me through the entrance.

After the acid rain started, we began searching for some sort of shelter. Fortunately, we were in a dense area, so we didn't get the full force of the storm, but it's still painful. Eventually, we managed to find this little stone structure. It looks like a cave, but there are steps leading downward. Hadley likes it, but I'm terrifying. There's something squirming in my gut and I have a bad feeling about this.

Hadley yanks me through, and for a moment, I'm grateful to no longer have the acid rain dripping down on me. In fact, that's the only reason I don't walk out of the structure.

"Hadley, I told you!" I say. "This doesn't seem right. Remember what happened last time we went in a building?"

"Yeah. You found the stone, and now we can both live."

"And we almost drowned. This isn't good, Hadley," I tell him. I glance down the dark, cellar-like staircase. "I have a bad feeling about it."

"Axel, you're not psychic," Hadley groans. "How would you know?"

Against my warnings, he begins trudging down the staircase. With reluctance, I follow him.

Hadley leads the way through the dark hallway as we trudge deeper into the earth. Just before we run out of sunlight, we stumble across a small, flickering torch placed on the wall. I quickly pick it up and hold it out to light the way.

The torch doesn't do much more than the natural light did, but it makes it so we can at least see where to put our feet. | The firelight doesn't illuminate the corridor much, but from what I can see, the stairs continue downward with no signs of stopping.

"Hadley, are you sure this is a good idea?" I ask uneasily. I still feel like this is a bad idea, but it's only gotten worse the further we've walked down. I don't like being so far underground.

"Would you rather be out in the acid rain?" Hadley asks. "Besides, what if there's something else helpful down here?"

"Is it really worth the risk? We can already both survive - that's what's important."

"Axel…" Hadley begins, but doesn't continue. We've reached the bottom of the stairs. And in front of us is a long corridor, with a bunch of hallways branching off of it. It looks like we've entered a maze.

"Hadley, please," I beg. This time, Hadley hesitates.

"Maybe you're right," he admits. "We should -"

Hadley stops mid-sentence as we hear a grinding behind us. We turn around and see a heavy stone block sliding out of the wall to block our exit. Hadley rushes over to it, but by the time he reaches it, our exit has been blocked. We stand silently for a moment, staring at what was our only simple exit.

"That's not good," Hadley mutters.

He's right. Whenever Gamemakers block a tribute's exit or try to corral them into one place, it means they're looking for a fight. Likely, there's either a mutt or other tributes down here.

Hadley rushes back over to me as I stare down the corridor. It's illuminated with torches, so at least we have light.

"I guess we should try to find our way out," Hadley says.

"But -"

"Axel, if we don't, we're just going to be stuck here. Do you really think the Gamemakers will open the door for us?"

"Fine," I mutter. Hadley slows begins to walk down the corridor, me close behind him. "Maybe you should get out your darts," Hadley suggests. We continue walking down the corridor at a quick pace while I fumble with the torch, trying to get some darts out of my pocket. Hadley glances back at me nervously for a moment, then mutters that we should hurry up.

I pick up my pace until I'm nearly running beside him. I nervously look both ways, at the approaching corridors. Every single time we pass one, I feel as though some Career or jaguar will jump out, ready to kill us.

But we make it to the end of the main hallway without much trouble. Nobody jumps out and scares us, and both of us are alive. But we reach a dead end. A few yards back is the last hallway, which Hadley grudgingly suggests we go through.

"I'm worried we'll get lost," he admits.

"Let's just stick to the right wall, then," I suggest. "Then, if we get lost, we can just turn around and go left and end up back over here." Hadley agrees with my strategy, and I'm tasking with sticking to the right wall so we don't miss any turns. I offer Hadley the torch, which he holds out in front of him. I drag my free hand along the cold stone wall.

Hadley has his gun in one hand, which he holds at the ready. He only has four bullets left, so he's trying to be sparing with them. We keep taking right turns, but we don't come across anything new. I'm trying to count how many turns we've made in my head, but it's difficult when I'm also trying to keep an eye out for anything dangerous.

Hadley suddenly stops in his tracks, and I crash into him. He nearly drops the torch.

"Why did you stop?" I inquire after muttering an apology. Hadley points at the ground. In the dim light, I can make out a trail of crumbs in front of us. "What do you think they're from?"

"Somebody likely placed them there to mark their path."

"Who would waste food in the Hunger Games?"

"The Careers. Or maybe it's a human-like mutt," Hadley offers. "Like last year - the Queen and her children?" I shiver, remembering the life-like mutts from last year.

"Ugh, I hope it's not like them."

"Should we stick with the right-strategy?" Hadley asks me. "The crumbs go right." I follow the path, and see that the crumbs indeed go down our intended path.

"Maybe that's where they came from," I say. "Or they took another path after that. I think we should continue this way, because at least we won't get lost."

Hadley nods, and we both follow the crumbs to the right. My hand continues dragging along the wall, but I stop in my tracks when I feel something warm and slimy on the wall, rather than just the cool brick.

"Ugh," I say, not wanting to look at my hand. Hadley stops, turns, looks at me in confusion, then his eyes drift to my hand and grimaces. I look at my hand, which is against a smear of blood on the wall. It drips down onto the floor, and I realize I'm inches from standing in a puddle of blood.

I yank my hand back from the wall, and begin wiping it furiously on my pants.

"Is it real?" Hadley asks.

"It sure felt like it," I cringe, still trying to wipe the blood off my hand. Hadley squats down and looks at the puddle of blood. He inspects it for a moment, then his eyes follow a narrow trail down the hall. It seems like someone was dripping blood as they walk away from here, because there's several drops of blood leading the way.

"It's probably another tribute, right? Because they blood is real?" Hadley asks.

"I don't know if it's real. And it could be an animal."

"No, look at the footprints," Hadley says. He points at a small track in one of the blood splatters on the floor. It's clearly a human foot. "We should follow it."

"Are you joking?" I hiss.

"They bled a lot," he reminds me. "If they are alive -"

"No cannon has gone off today, so they are," I interject.

"Okay, so they must be dying right now. They won't be any threat. Maybe they have supplies, or maybe it's someone we'll want to help."

"Hadley -"

"What if it's Tristana?" Hadley asks me, and I immediately fall silent. It does seem like a risk, but I would want to help if it is Tristana. And if it's not, they won't be a threat.

"Fine," I decide, still reluctant.

Hadley and I begin following the trail. Hadley has to lean over to see the occasional drops of blood on the ground as we walk, which makes me uneasy. He's the main fighter, so if someone were to leap out at us, he'd be at a disadvantage. I'm trying to use my ears to detect anyone nearby, but I know I won't be able to solely rely on hearing.

We make a few turns, but the path is mostly straight ahead. We finally reach a fork in the path, and when we turn right, we see the victim curled up in a dead end.

It's a very small girl, definitely not a tribute. I know that I'm the youngest, and this kid is probably several years younger than me. She looks about eight, wearing animal skins rather than our tribute getup. She's huddled in a corner, bleeding heavily out of a wound in her side. She stares at us in terror with tears in her eyes.

"Is it a mutt?" Hadley whispers to me.

"I guess," I shrug. She looks extremely realistic for a muttation, even more so than the Queen from the 247th Hunger Games. "Should we leave or try to talk to her?" I begin to ask Hadley, but he's already approached the girl.

Sighing, I follow him. Hadley has a soft spot for children, which is why I happen to be allied with him. And why Linen and Savanna were in our alliance, as well. It's no surprise that he's trying to talk to an injured mutt.

"Hello, my name's Hadley," he says, squatting down in front of the injured girl. She doesn't respond. "What's your name? How did you get injured?" The girl still doesn't respond, so I come over.

"Do you understand us?" I ask her. "Nod if you do." She doesn't respond, so I take it that she doesn't.

" _Hadley_ ," Hadley enunciates, pointing to himself. He points at me and says, " _Axel_." He then points at the girl to ask for her name.

At first, she's quiet, and I think she still doesn't understand, but then she says, "Klanana."

Hadley points at her wound and shrugs, to ask what happened to her. Klanana tries to say something in her language, but remembers that we can't understand her. She mimics shooting a gun.

Hadley tries to ask her if anyone else is down in this maze, but struggles to mime the question. As he carefully gesticulates, I watch the girl. She doesn't look good. Her face is losing color, and a steady stream of blood leaks out from the hand cupped over her bullet wound.

Hadley's still trying to talk to her when her eyes widen. She shakily raises a hand to point to something behind us. I feel my heart drop. I don't want to look, but I must. Terrified, I turn around to see a man with a gun. He's wearing an outfit similar to mine, but looks thirty years my senior. He's definitely not a tribute.

He raises his rifle and points it to me. I don't even have a chance to scream before he fires the gun at me. I feel a pain in my arm and I stumble backward, slamming my head into the wall. My vision goes spotty. I just have a chance to see Hadley slam into the man before my vision goes dark and I pass out.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

"Come on, hurry up!" Rachel shouts loudly as we sprint through the jungle. We've been desperately trying to find some sort of shelter since the acid rain started. We've only managed to find the smallest places, which could only protect one person from the rain, so we've been running all morning.

My skin burns and I raise the rock higher. My biceps are tired from carrying this large rock around, but at least my hair isn't being burned off or anything. It provides a bit of cover, but my arms are still getting rained on.

Tristana stumbles over a root, and I'm the only one who pauses to help her up. Rachel and Yael continue running through the forest. As I try to yank Tristana up (my lack of upper body strength is very evident right now), I notice they're pulling ahead greatly.

"Wait for us!" I shout at them, but they must not be able to hear me, because they disappear through the trees. Tristana gets to her feet, and we begin running after them.

"Where did you guys go!" Tristana shouts.

"Over here!" Rachel calls, her voice slightly to our left. We run in her direction, but skid to a halt when we reach her and Yael.

"We found shelter," Yael explains excitedly, pointing at the structure in front of us. A large, stone building. Tristana and I exchange a look - I'm sure Axel or Hadley explained to her what these buildings hold.

There's definitely a gem in there, and I need to be the one to get it.

* * *

 **This is unedited, so it probably has a lot of grammar/spelling mistakes, so please ignore them. It's not that I don't care, I'm just really tired right now and I don't want to read the whole thing over again.**

 **Now that we're in the final 13, nearly all of the tributes will get one POV per day. It's likely that if your tribute didn't get a POV today, they will tomorrow. Unfortunately, that also means some cliff-hangers may not be resolved until Day 6! Luckily, no one really cares about Dennis. XD**

 **If you haven't voted in the poll yet, please do! And don't forget to review! Both of these things really help your tribute survive. It's obviously not a guarantee, because I won't kill someone early when they could be a major plot driver or keep someone alive when I have no plans for them, but if I'm at a crossroads, reviews and polls are the first things I consider.**

 **\- Lilah32**


	47. Day 5: Part 2: Ask or Challenge

**District 11**

 **Yael Harident**

* * *

The stone structure is dark inside. We're no longer exposed to the painful rain, but now we're posed with a new problem; we're stuck in this dark building, where anything could emerge from the darkness, ready to slaughter. I'm thinking that it might even be safer to _leave_ , when Arabella pipes up.

"Let's go explore!" she suggests, eagerly, peering down the dark hallway. We're all silent for a moment. Rachel and I exchange a look that says, _what the hell?_

"Are you fucking serious?" Rachel asks her after a moment. Arabella flinches at the language, but Tristana jumps to her aid.

"No, we should go exploring!" she agrees.

"Tristana -" I begin, but she cuts me off.

"There's no point just standing here waiting for the rain to clear. What if there are resources in here?"

"I think it's more likely that there's a mutt ready to rip us to shreds," Rachel shrugs.

"Are you scared?" Tristana taunts, and Rachel smirks.

"You know that's not going to work on me, Tris. Yes, I'm scared. I'm scared of getting eaten alive by a jaguar or bitten by a snake or decapitated by a Career. I'm not being cowardly, I'm being reasonable."

Tristana frowns, and she and Arabella share a look.

"Then we'll go alone," Arabella decides.

"What?" I ask. "We can't split up!"

"I don't want to either, but Tristana and I want to find... food or something," Arabella says.

"There's not going to be food in there!" Rachel exclaims, visibly angry. Tristana crosses her arms defensively.

"Well, we won't know that unless we look." At that, Rachel groans and rolls her eyes. "You may scoff, but let me remind you that we have absolutely no food left! I don't want to die either, but this is the _Hunger_ Games, and I'm pretty damn hungry right now. We could die if we don't get food."

"The odds of us getting eaten by a mutt are way larger than finding food," Rachel tries to remain calm.

"I disagree," Tristana says simply. For a moment, Rachel looks like she wants to strangle her, but finally sighs and stands up.

"Okay, I guess we can look for food," Rachel concedes.

"What?" I holler, backing up. Am I the only one with any sense left? I may be going insane, and contemplate killing my allies every night, but at least I don't want to wander into a dark structure where there are probably many deadly traps planted.

"You can stay if you want," Rachel shrugs, and the three of them begin to walk into the dark corridor, leaving me alone. I stand in shock for a few moments, watching them move away from me, then snap to my senses.

"Wait up!" I shout, running to catch up with them. I almost slip on the mossy floor, but catch myself.

There's no light in the corridor that we're walking down, which is very unfortunate. I probably have some of the best eyesight out of all of us, but it's still difficult to make everything out. Fortunately, I don't see any traps yet.

Somehow, I end up at the front of the group. I'm guessing the others are completely blind by this point, and that's why they've let me take the lead -

My foot finds no placement. I swing my arms around wildly for a few moments, but it's inevitable when I fall into a giant pit. I let out a small shriek as I go tumbling through the air. A second later, I crash painfully into water.

I'm submerged for a moment, but kick to the surface. Luckily, my time in District 11's forests has taught me to be a fairly decent swimmer, so despite all of the clothing weighing me down, I stay afloat rather easily. I gasp when my head breaks the surface and I shake my head to get the water out of my eyes. The water I'm treading has a slightly green-ish glow, which helps me see. When I look up, I can see three green faces looking down at me from a ledge above my head. It's not too far, but it's definitely not climbable.

"Yael?" Tristana calls down, sounding concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I responding, coughing water out of my lungs. "There's water down here!"

"Should we come down?" Tristana asks.

"I don't see a way out," I tell them. "It looks like four walls on all sides. Don't come down, then we'll be stuck."

"What about you? Are you stuck?" Arabella asks.

"Yes." I can nearly feel Rachel rolling her eyes at Arabella's query.

"Wait, I think I have rope!" Tristana announces. We all wait while Tristana fishes through her backpack for the rope. I'm starting to doubt whether she has any, when she pulls out a coil of rope. Good news; she has it. Bad news; it's only about three feet. When Tristana throws one end down, it's far above my head. "Sorry! I don't think it's long enough!"

As they begin to debate what to do, I swim around the pool in search of some sort of exit. I doubt the Gamemakers would add a deadly pool, especially one so difficult to avoid. No Capitolites want to see kids swim around until they inevitably tire and drown. There has to be a way out. It appears I'm correct when I find the source of the green glow; a small tunnel several feet under water. I want to explore further, but I don't want to just leave my allies wondering where I went.

"Hey!" I call up, and they stop their bickering. "I think I found an exit."

"I thought you said there weren't any?" Rachel asks.

"It's underwater and difficult to see. I'm not sure whether it's an escape, though. I'm going to try and find out."

"Should we wait here?"

"No, keep going! I'll meet back up with you later!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Don't take too long, though. If it isn't a way out, I won't be able to tread water for long."

"Okay. Please don't drown, though."

"I won't," I (hopefully) promise. After a moment, their faces disappear and I hear them walking around the pit. I take a deep gulp of air and dive down toward the tunnel.

I force my eyes open underwater so that I can see where I'm going, but I can still only see a vague outline of the tunnel. I push myself through the small hole quickly, getting pretty claustrophobic immediately. The darkness ensures that I can't see where the tunnel ends, which freaks me out greatly. I'm a fast swimmer, but I start losing air and bubbles float up in front of my eyes. My lungs are aching. I'm about to turn around, but then the tunnel ends.

I kick myself through the end and drift up, hopefully toward the surface. If there's no air in this room, I'll definitely drown.

Luckily, my head breaks the surface and I gulp down several breaths of air before even opening my eyes to see my surroundings. When I've replenished my oxygen, I look around.

To my relief, there's a floor only inches above of the water level. I swim over and yank myself up onto the stone, grateful for the rest. My clothes are obviously soaked and pretty heavy, but I'm not removing anything. When we were talking to Axel and Hadley, they informed us that they were shoe-less because they ditched them after they got wet. I'm not losing my boots. You can't go barefoot in a jungle, even if your shoes are wet.

I take only a few minutes to rest before getting back to my feet. There's a single corridor leading out of this room, so there's only one place to go. Hopefully, it will lead me to my allies.

I'm no longer dreading their company. The voice hasn't made any reappearance today. I don't know how long this bliss will last, but I want to enjoy it while I can.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

"When do you think the rain will stop?" Noelani asks. I shrug.

"Likely soon. They don't have an infinite supply of acid, do they? Besides, they might want to save some for another day," I respond.

"I hope not," Noelani shivers. "We might be less fortunate that time. We could get caught in it. Like Trajan."

It's difficult for me to conceal the smile that appears at the reminder that my insufferable District partner is somewhere out there, baring the acid storm. Glorian and even Noelani are being shockingly sympathetic towards him, but I don't pity him at are. It's only a hint of the karma he'll receive.

"I'm so bored," Noelani complains. "We should do something."

"Like what?" Glorian asks, his voice lacking interest. He lays on his back, staring up at the ceiling of the Cornucopia, twiddling his thumbs.

"Let's play a game or something," Noelani suggests.

"Do you know any games?" I ask. Noelani hesitates, but Glorian jumps in.

"I actually know a few," he says, to general surprise. He begins rattling off a lengthy list of games we could possibly play, and none of them require any objects. When he spies our shock, he blushes and admits that he plays a lot of games with his siblings.

"Let's play the one where you ask questions or do challenges!" Noelani says eagerly.

"Ask or Challenge?" Glorian asks, and Noelani nods. To me, 'Ask or Challenge' sounds essentially like Truth or Dare, but I suppose it has a different name in District 2. I personally hate Truth or Dare, because I don't like opening up about myself and the dares are all stupid. But I don't want Noelani to think I'm no fun. And I am dying of boredom, so maybe this could provide _some_ amusement.

"You go first," Noelani tells Glorian, and he nods in agreement. "Ask or Challenge?"

Glorian chooses challenge, and Noelani has him attempt a backflip. I'm slightly concerned, because Glorian doesn't seem very nimble, and I don't want him to end up with a broken neck, but he lands the flip perfectly. I gape in shock while Noelani claps. Glorian looks slightly pleased with himself, and bows.

"Alright, Cecelia, Ask or Challenge?" Glorian asks me after he sits back down.

"Challenge," I immediately respond. There's no way in hell I'm choosing 'ask'.

"Uh... dance," he says.

"What?"

"Dance."

"There's no music," I remind him. Then I get an idea and smirking, say, "You have to provide the music for me. Sing."

"I can't sing," Glorian says, but then begins to beatbox. I'm a terrible dancer, but I get to my feet anyway and attempt a pretty terrible dance. My dancing combined with Glorian's beatboxing evokes a laughing fit from Noelani. To my surprise, I'm not embarrassed. In fact, her laugh is pretty cute and gets me to join in.

We continue the game, but face a dilemma pretty soon - none of us are choosing 'ask'. We're all Careers, and none of us have shared too much information with the others (even Noelani and I don't know much about each other's home lives) so we choose a challenge everytime. It's amusing, yes, but we're starting to run out of ideas for challenges. After Glorian challenges Noelani to remove her shirt (a move that makes me blush), I decide it's time to add a few rules in.

How about we have to answer some questions?" I ask, avoiding Noelani and her bare stomach. I didn't want to answer questions, but it's better than having anyone remove any more clothes. I don't want to see Glorian shirtless, and I'll definitely keep my clothes on, even if it means I lose the game.

"Okay," Glorian agrees, but he sounds a bit hesitant. "How about we have to choose 'ask' at least every other time?"

We all agree that his rule is fair, and we continue the game. This time, when Noelani asks me, "Ask or Challenge?" I _have_ to choose ask.

"Ask, I guess," I shrug.

"Why did you Volunteer?" she asks. When I open my mouth to respond with my same lie about fame and glory, she shouts, "you have to tell the truth!" I raise an eyebrow at her. "It's obvious you didn't Volunteer for _fame and glory_ ," she says. "No offense, Cecelia, but you definitely don't seem like the type of person striving to be famous."

I laugh, but I'm immediately regretting my decision to add the questions rule.

"Okay, well... my dad isn't the... _nicest_ person. He created a pretty bad life for my mother, sister, and I, so... I Volunteered to escape him," I respond, struggling to find the right words. "Anyway, Glorian; ask or challenge?"

"Ask."

"What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you?"

"Um... my best friend died. He was murdered when I was a kid." My jaw drops open. I definitely didn't expect anything like that.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Hey, I already answered!" Glorian says defensively. "You have to wait until your next turn."

"Fine."

"Noelani, ask or challenge?"

"Ask, obviously."

"How did you lose your arm?" Glorian asks. Noelani goes on to tell the story of how she got it caught in a cannery when she was young. I already know it, so I don't pay much attention. When she wraps up the story, she has Glorian continue the story of his best friend's death.

This time, Glorian goes a bit deeper. One by one, we reveal a little more about ourselves. It's slightly concerning, since I know every word I say just makes me more vulnerable. The more we grow closer, the tougher the Games will be on us.

At least Trajan isn't here.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Rachel Ivy**

* * *

"Do you think Yael will be alright?" Arabella asks nervously as we walk down the dark corridor.

"Yes," I respond, though I'm not too sure of myself. I just don't want to worry Arabella because she has already insisted we go back and check on her three times already.

"Are you sure?" Arabella asks. This time, I only sigh and speed up my pace so that I no longer have to chat with Arabella. The hallway is empty enough that I can hear everything - including Tristana and Arabella whispering to each other behind me. I can't make out _what_ they're saying, but I don't like when people keep secrets of me.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, spinning around. They jump, confirming my suspicion it's something about me.

"Nothing," Arabella immediately replies. I glare at her and continue walking. This time, they're smart enough to not talk behind my back.

We reach the end of the corridor shortly after. I quickly realize that a wall of vines to our right has been butchered up enough to create a human-shaped arch. Someone has already been here. Unfortunately, there's nothing to signal _when_ they were here. For all I know, they're at the other end of the hall right now.

Regardless of the threat, I push the remaining dangling vines out of the way and step into the next corridor.

 _Yep, someone's definitely been here_ , I think to myself. The hallway, which was obviously booby-trapped, is filled with the remains of some passage. I can see arrows in the walls, a skewered snake, and several items on the floor. Including shoes that (after some deduction) I realize belong to the District 2 male. Its crimson shade is the same as the jacket they wear, and its large size suggests it didn't belong to Glitter.

"What should we do?" Arabella asks, and I realize my two allies have appeared on either side. Before I can respond, Tristana takes off. She sprints down the hallway, setting off several traps behind her.

"What are you doing?" I demand, but she doesn't respond until she's all the way across.

"Quick, get over here!" she shouts. Arabella is the next to run straight across the booby-trapped hallway. Most traps have been triggered at this point, but she still barely misses a few arrows.

After some convincing, I do the same. It's not actually difficult, because I step on only the triggered traps. There aren't any close calls for me. We continue down the hallway and quickly step into a cavernous room.

There are a glowing pedestal and statue at the center and absolutely nothing else. We're about to head over to it, when suddenly, a familiar voice sounds to our right.

"Hello," Yael says. I turn and see a soaking-wet Yael standing, looking at us. She's at the entrance of another hallway, which I'm guessing she just emerged from. She's immediately bombarded by relieved Tristana and Arabella, but I decide I can save my relief for later. I want to find out what's on this pedestal.

While Yael recounts her story, I jog over to the center of the room, where the pedestal is. To my surprise, there's a glowing ruby on the pedestal. Underneath is an inscription that I squint to read.

 _Welcome lucky tribute,_

 _You've discovered one of the three gems placed around the arena. This jewel could save your life - with this, you can survive the Hunger Games without having to win._

 _It is possible that four tributes survive this year; one victor and three survivors._

 _However, you must make it to the final five to be able to escape. If you're in possession of the jewel by then, go to the Cornucopia. There, you will be rescued via hovercraft and will be taken home. You won't receive glory or wealth or even a place in the Victor's Village, but you will live. You'll go back to your old life as though you never were in the Hunger Games._

 _If you're with an ally, be very careful who you select to take the jewel. It can not be transferred between tributes. The first person to touch it is the only one who can use it to escape… with one exception. If you kill the current possessor of the jewel, then you will be the new owner._

 _May the odds be ever in your favor!_

I let out a small gasp after I take it in.

"What?" Tristana inquires from across the room. Immediately, she and Arabella begin sprinting toward me. I watch them in shock until they're almost on top of me, when I finally reach for the jewel. I know I need to grab it first, otherwise it will go to Arabella or Tristana. I wouldn't mind them getting the opportunity to go home, but this concerns me. I'm _always_ my top priority.

Tristana slams my arm out of the way before I can grab onto the jewel. I'm surprised by her force, but immediately reciprocate. I slam my shoulder into her gut and she stumbles back. I easily shake off Arabella, who has been clinging to my arm. Before they can hold me back again, I grab a hold of the ruby.

Breathing heavily, I look around at my allies. Arabella looks crushed, Yael looks confused, and Tristana looks slightly angry. I don't care if I pissed them all off just now, though. This is my ticket home, and none of them can take it away from me.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

The cave is silent but for the occasional dripping from the crack in the ceiling. I've been hidden out in this cave ever since I killed Glitter, and it's a good thing I did because it completely spared me from the acid rain today. True, I've been bored, thirsty, and underfed, but at least I have shelter.

I feel no guilt for having killed Glitter. She was annoying. She Volunteered. She deserved it. I didn't ask for this, and neither did most of the people here. But she knew she was putting her life at risk when she Volunteered at the Hunger Games. She deserved my sword to the neck, and that's why I haven't bothered cleaning off the blade yet. I like looking at the blood on it. It reminds me of my accomplishments.

People will likely think I'm going insane, but what do I care? They threw me in this fucking place, what did they expect? I'm not going to be a good little boy anymore, it's kill or be killed. I don't want to die, so I'll kill. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can talk to my bloody sword.

I was popular back home. The memory makes me laugh. If I get out of here, I'm not going to be popular anymore. Everyone will be afraid of me. They'll avoid me. But they weren't in the Games, so they can't judge me.

I barely notice the figure when it emerges from the flurry of rain. He enters my cave, gasping and yelling in pain. I immediately jump to my feet, sword in hand, which is when he finally sees me.

"Vincent?" Trajan asks, wiping rain away from his forehead so it won't drip into his eyes.

"Yes," I reply. "And you're in my cave."

Trajan opens his mouth, probably to say some smug remark, but I don't give him a chance. I step forward and swing my sword in a large arc. It's so unexpected, he barely has time to jump back. The tip of the blade skims the front of his shirt, cutting it a bit. The blade is sharp, because that's all I've been doing all day.

"Whoa!" Trajan says, stepping back. He stands between me and the exit, debating whether to flee or fight. He has a spear, but no other supplies. I think his gun might be in his belt, though, because I can't imagine him going anywhere without it. Finally, he takes his spear and rushes at me.

I side-step, but I'm not the most agile, so it's a close call. His spear misses me, but just by a bit. Not wasting any time, I slash my sword at him again. He ducks this time, getting into the habit. I may be strong, but he's trained in fighting. He thrusts his spear at my knees. Unable to dodge, I use my sword to redirect the blow, and Trajan's spear travels somewhere to my left. The acceleration knocks him to the ground.

I raise my sword to hit him, but he rolls aside before I can bring the blade down.

Trajan jumps back up. I notice that he has a bloody lip now. I'm worried that if I allow him time to regroup, he'll easily manage to beat me. I have to rely on my strength, and the element of surprise. I rush at him when he isn't expecting it, and shove my weapon in his direction. Trajan lets out a scream, and I know I've made contact.

I yank my sword out of his body, and blood sprays everywhere. I begin to stab him again, but this time he moves out of the way.

Trajan stumbles over to the cave's exit, clutching his bleeding forearm. I'm disappointed I didn't injure him greater, but at least he's going now. He looks at me one last time, before running out into the acid rain. Not wanting to brave the precipitation, I stay put. I watch Trajan's dark figure run away, smirking slightly.

 _Who's the sheep now?_

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

"Are we sure there's no food left?" I sigh. Cecelia shakes her head.

"You should know this. You've been the one pressuring us to hunt and gather food," she reminds me. I groan, clutching my empty stomach. I used to be accustomed with starvation when I was living on the streets, but for the past few years, I've been fed consistently and well. I suppose I need to get used to it again because I'm not getting three meals a day in the Hunger Games.

"I'm a bit surprised no cannons went off today," Noelani remarks. "The acid rain seemed pretty dangerous."

"It's probably less effective under the cover of the trees," I point out. "And after tributes found cover, I'm sure their days were just as uneventful as our's."

"Do you think tomorrow will be uneventful, as well?"

"No. We're due for another death, soon."

We sit in silence some more, still completely bored and stir-crazy. After a few minutes of silence, we're interrupted by the Capitol anthem. Since we know no one died today, we all ignore it.

"How did you get an 11?" Cecelia finally asks me.

"In training?"

"Obviously. 11s are really rare, so you have to be pretty creative in order to score one. I've been curious ever since the training score reveals."

"I showed the Gamemakers a magic trick," I say. Cecelia and Noelani laugh.

"No, seriously, what did you do?" Noelani asks.

"I showed them a magic trick," I repeat, smirking. Surprisingly, their disbelief doesn't bother me at all. It's actually pretty funny. "Do you want to see."

"Obviously!" Noelani cries. "We've been complaining about being bored all day, and just now you reveal that we have a magician in our midst?"

While she talks, I begin looking through the supplies for usable items. During the private training sessions, I did a juggling trick with camouflage paint containers. We don't have any of those, but we do have a few handfuls of fairly large gold coins. They're not the same, but the weight and shape are close enough that I think they'll work.

I perform the trick for the two of them, and both are impressed to a hilarious degree. Noelani claps and cheers for me as I juggle, while Cecelia watches me carefully. I know she's trying to figure out the trick, but my sleight of hand is developed enough that she won't notice it.

I complete the trick with a bow. Noelani's applause is enough to make me grin widely. My smile evoke a bit more laughter. At first, I'm confused, and then I remember that I haven't smiled until now. They must have been so used to my stoic expressions that I looked ridiculous smiling. And I must admit, my grin is pretty dorky.

"Oh, you're smiling!" Noelani observes, laughing in delight. I blush a bit, but the smile doesn't leave my face.

"Are you impressed by my skills?" I ask.

"Wait, so this is why you took my place as leader of the Careers?" Cecelia asks. "Because you can juggle."

"Well, that's all you need to be a leader. Juggling skills," I respond. This time, Cecelia laughs as well.

"What's so funny?" a grumpy voice asks. The laughter immediately dies as we turn to the Cornucopia's mouth and see a lanky figure standing there. None of us are particularly pleased with Trajan's arrival. "Surprise, I'm back," he says with no enthusiasm. "I need a bandage, now, because if you haven't noticed, my arm is injured pretty badly."

Reluctantly, Noelani goes to get some cloth as Trajan plops down in the center of the Cornucopia. I drop the coins, my magic trick forgotten. With Trajan back, the mood has drastically changed.

I take a deep breath and lean against the Cornucopia wall. Maybe it was good he returned and spoiled the fun. I can't get too attached to these girls. I need to focus and keep my eye on the prize. There's only one thing I should be concerned about and only one person I should be loyal to.

I Volunteered to honor Gonzalo, and I can't get distracted with other matters.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

Rachel isn't as great as she used to be.

She used to be fun and friendly. That's when we became allies. She seemed more concerned with friendship than actual strategy, and I thought I could trust her with my life. She had such a kind aura, and I felt good about the Hunger Games, knowing I'd have her on my side.

Then we got into the Hunger Games, and suddenly she started acting differently. She stopped being fun and friendly. She was more focused on strategy than chilling. She was also bitter and snapped easily, especially at Arabella. I blamed it on the stress and discomfort of the Hunger Games.

But after she physically shoved me to get the jewel, I started thinking differently. Sure, I was trying to get it as well. I batted her hand away, because I wanted to survive. But then she shoved me forcefully out of the way and knocked Arabella to the ground. I would have thought she'd have tried to choose who received it fairly, rather than who got it first. But I suppose she was too desperate for that jewel.

I don't trust her as much anymore. I guess it wasn't fair of me to expect her to give up a major shot of getting home, but I think if she was that determined to get the jewel over us, she'd easily ditch us if her life was in danger.

Rachel's fast asleep, but her hand is on the gun. Arabella's guarding us a few feet away, but she looks half-asleep. Usually, I'd be concerned, but the acid rain is still falling so I doubt many people will find us here.

If I lowered her chance to get home, would she use that gun on me? Would she do that?

I didn't think of Rachel as someone that would kill, especially a fellow ally, but now I'm not so sure. I'm starting to doubt my idea that she's changed. Maybe she has just stopped hiding her true self.

Was everything else an act? Was the Rachel I trusted and aligned with just a manipulative girl behind a mask of friendliness?

Sighing, I turn back onto my other side. I don't think I can worry about it right now. Maybe tomorrow, but for now, I just need sleep.

* * *

 **Per usual, I'm now going to pester everyone for reviews. Long reviews are appreciated, but even a one-word review is better than nothing. It reminds me that you're reading, which is the most important thing. So please review!**

 **Also, the Day 6 poll is now on my profile.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. Who do you think will get the last jewel?  
2\. Who do you think will be the next to die?  
3\. Who do you want to win and survive?  
4\. Who do you think will win and survive?  
5\. What are your predictions for everyone? Not just placements, but overall arcs or possible alliances.**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Rachel Ivy (D12F)  
Sapphire - Nobody**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Vincent  
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Dennis**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glitter Monique (D2F) - 1  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Noelani King (D4F) - 0  
Dennis Fielder (D5M) - 1  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 0  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 0  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1  
Arabella Cantros (D10F) - 0  
Yael Harident (D11F) - 0  
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	48. Mortimax Bracket I

**The Capitol**

 **Mortimax Bracket**

* * *

"Mortimax, how are the mutts coming?"

I jump at the sudden noise but quickly regain my composure for Leda Dashlon.

"Which ones, Miss?" I inquire, trying to organize my desk before Leda comments on the mess. We all know that Leda seriously appreciates tidiness in workspaces and in general. However, I'm a pretty disorganized person. My ideas run amuck, so it makes it kind of difficult for me to stay neat. And I don't really need to, either. I always know where to find things.

"The muttations in general, Morty," Leda sighs. I'm about to remind her how much I hate the nickname, 'Morty', but I catch myself in time. I can't correct my boss. If Leda wants to call me Morty, she can.

"Oh, well they're all good. We spawned some more jaguars near the center of the arena to possibly increase action, but the Capitol doesn't really seem to have a problem with the mutts right now."

"Can we get some of the tribes to invade the Career camp or something? They haven't gotten too much action lately, and everyone wants to see the tribes some more. They're really curious."

"How would we get the tribes to go to the Cornucopia?" I ask.

"Order them," Leda shrugs.

"Well, uh, they don't really follow our instructions yet. They're just doing their own thing."

"That's not good," Leda glares at me.

"Well, it's not our fault you went with actual people rather than muttations," I remind her, beginning to get a little mad. "You know that I can create incredibly life-like mutts, nearly capable of making their own decisions, but you just had to go with humans!"

"President Divine insisted," Leda informs me. "If you have a problem, take it up with him. _I'm sure he'd love to hear you out._ "

With that, Leda walks away, leaving me alone at my half-organized desk. I sigh and spin in my chair as I try to regain some of my former inspirational.

 _I hate working for the Capitol._

* * *

 **Another short Capitol chapter, but this time it had some more relevance.**

 **Don't forget to review! I know there's not always a lot to respond to with the Capitol segments, but it helps to know that you actually read these.**

 **\- Lilah**


	49. Day 6: Part 1: The Sacrificial Lamb

**District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

When I wake up, I realize that the rain outside has stopped. It's difficult to tell through the waterfall, at first, but when I go to gather more water, I realize the rain has completely stopped. In fact, it's clear for what may be the first time for nearly the week we've been in the arena.

Yesterday, I did absolutely nothing, just like the day before. I realized it was raining acid rain early in the morning when I went to refill my water bottle, but since I had planned on sleeping in the cave some more, it didn't really affect me. I just tried to sleep through the day again.

At first, the lack of food wasn't bothering me too much. The pain in my arm was worse than any hunger pains, so I barely realized the lack of food. But now that the pain in my arm has somewhat subsided (nowhere close to being gone, but at least I can think clearly again) I'm noticing the aches in my stomach.

I think it's time I leave my cave. It is a safe hideout, with an endless water supply, but I know that the Gamemakers won't be happy with a tribute sleeping in a cave the entire game with no immediate threat. It will be a while before food becomes a serious issue, but the Capitol's boredom with me is a big deal. If the Gamemakers feel I'm not entertaining the audience enough, they'll send a mutt after me.

So, I think it's time I continue my hike. All night long (I kept waking up) I was debating whether or not to climb up the cliff, but I've come to a decision. I'm going to at least attempt to climb the cliff. It will put a great deal of distance between the rest of the tributes and me, which is very important. I'm not exactly in tip-top shape right now, so I'll do my best to avoid conflict.

I carefully begin to pack up my things. Not a lot of the medical supplies remaining, but I have a few bandages and rubbing alcohol left, which could be useful. The pain killers are long gone. I don't have a backpack, but the medicine came in a parachute, which functions the same. I have a knife, which I tuck into my belt, and then I pack my water bottle and matches in with the medical supplies.

I'm trying to ignore the fact that this knife is the one used to cauterize my arm. That freaks me out, and I want to forget about that process. I've cleaned the knife obsessively, but it still feels tainted.

I can't throw away a perfectly good weapon, though. Even if it did cauterize my stump of an arm. I have to keep reminding myself that. I shakily get to my feet, hunched over due to the size of the cave.

For the first time in several days, I step out through the curtain of the waterfall.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

"You're going to be fine," Hadley assures me. He tightens the bandage around my arm, and I wince in pain. "Sorry," Hadley says, even though his apology is completely unnecessary. He shouldn't apologize for taking care of me.

Hadley's shirt is in tatters since he used most of the cloth to create a bandage for my arm. I don't remember much about the fight, since I was knocked out for most and kept ebbing in and out of consciousness when Hadley was dragging me out of the maze. Hadley had to recount most of the conflict for me. Apparently, I was shot in the arm (that much, I remember) and then smashed my head against the wall and it knocked me out.

Then, Hadley tacked the guy who shot me (presumably a mutt, since he can't be a tribute). Hadley tried to shoot him, but he ran into the maze and Hadley didn't want to leave me, so he let him go. After that, Hadley directed/carried me through the maze until we finally found an exit. I kept passing out and waking back out, so I walked for some of it, but for most, Hadley draped me over his shoulder and lugged me through the passages.

Finally, we found the exit. By this point, the rain had stopped, so we could leave. Hadley luckily managed to find this cave, which we're now inside. We entered it about an hour ago.

"Is my arm okay?" I ask Hadley.

"The bullet only skimmed it," he responds. "I don't need to dig it out or anything, but it's bleeding pretty heavily. It's your non-dominant hand, though."

"Yay," I say without any enthusiasm.

"You're going to be fine. Just get some rest, we didn't sleep last night."

"I did," I respond. "That's why you carried me around the maze!" I still feel very guilty about that. I don't want to be any sort of a burden on Hadley.

"You kept waking up, that's not really the same as a good night's sleep. You're tired, don't deny it," he says. He's right. I allow him to remove the rest of my jacket (he already tore off the sleeve on the injured arm) and he balls it up under my head so I have a pillow. I wince when I move my head around. It still aches from when I banged it into the wall yesterday. "I would give you my jacket, but I don't have a shirt anymore, so I kind of need it," Hadley explains, picking at his shredding shirt.

"No, that's fine," I assure him. I'm already drifting off to sleep.

"I'm going to try and get us some food or water," Hadley informs me, standing up. Now my eyes shoot open.

"Wait, what?" I demand. "We're going to split up!?"

"I'm not too thrilled about it either, but it's not like we have a choice. We're out of both food and water, and we won't be able to last long without it. Especially with you losing blood."

"But, but -" I stammer, but can't come up with a valid response. "Just be safe," I finally sigh.

"Of course I'll be," Hadley smirks. He gives me a one-armed hug, minding my injury, before gathering all his things. "You have your darts, right?"

"Yeah."

"Make sure to defend yourself if anyone enters. You have to be careful."

"Hey, no one's gonna want to kill a cutie like me," I laugh. Hadley leaves, holding his lasso and gun in either hand. It feels weird to be without Hadley. I don't think we've parted the entire Hunger Games. But I don't have much time to contemplate his absence, because I fall asleep almost immediately.

Hopefully, nobody will enter this cave while I'm asleep.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Yael Harident**

* * *

"Yael, go get firewood," Rachel demands as she squats over a smoking pit of a bunch of damp wood. We tried to start a fire this morning in order to cook breakfast, but all Rachel could find nearby was damp wood. As everyone else warned her, it didn't do anything else besides smoke a bit before dying. She wasted a few matches trying to get the fire lit, but she ignored all of our warnings.

I follow her instructions without arguing since she's already bitter today. She screamed at Arabella for half an hour for taking the matches away, and Arabella's been pissed ever since. Honestly, I think Arabella would have left the alliance if not for the fact that Tristana and I were adamantly on her side.

Rachel's beginning to annoy everyone. I'd be mad at her, too, if not for the fact that I'd be a major hypocrite. I've been having to restrain myself from killing the rest of my alliance the entire time I've been in the Hunger Games. However, I haven't come close to betraying anyone in several days, so I think I can allow myself to be slightly bothered.

 _There_. Now Rachel is bugging me, and I'm very pleased to be rid of her, even for a short time.

I begin scouring under trees and the forest floor for dry wood. It can't be the slightest bit wet, because I don't want to risk wasting any more of our fire. I keep my head low as I walk through the jungle, trying to remain in a straight line so I can find my way back easily. I don't travel too far, so I'm surprised when I reach a clearing.

I look up and gasp. I'm standing at the edge of a giant canyon. On the other side, the jungle continues, but I can barely see it through the day's thick fog. I definitely can't see inside the canyon, so I have no way of knowing how deep it is. I'm not afraid of heights, so I have no issue getting close to the edge to stick my head over and look down.

I still can't see anything. Sighing, I back up. I'm about to head back when I faintly hear some sort of music.

 _Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum._

I can hear people singing (though, it sounds a lot like chanting) but I can't make out what they're saying. I'm tempted to discover the source of the music, but my head convinces me to head back to camp.

Whatever that is, I don't want to get involved.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

 _Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum._

The music stops me dead in my tracks. I immediately stop picking the berries off of the bush in front of me and freeze. There's some sort of music coming from nearby in the jungle. The only thing that can mean is other tributes or mutts. I doubt any tributes are jamming out in the middle of the Hunger Games, so I settle on the latter.

I carefully step behind a tree for a little concealment, but after a few seconds, I decide that I'm temporarily safe. The music doesn't sound like it's coming any closer, and it's not close enough for me to be seen. Worst case scenario, they'll approach, and even then, I'll have enough time to run or hide.

I don't want to stay in this area for too much longer, so I quickly pick off some of the remaining berries and stick them in the box from the sponsor parachute, which I'm using to collect food. I can still hear the music, but it hasn't changed volume, so I think I'm safe. Luckily, Axel is in the opposite direction, so I won't have to go through them.

Suddenly, a girl's scream echoes through the arena, almost startling me enough to drop the box. It's coming from the music, and it's undeniably the voice of Arabella. I stand there for a few moments, considering whether to leave or help her.

Against my better judgment, I begin walking toward the music.

 _She's not your ally, Hadley!_ My brain insists in panic, but I know that I can't just let her die. She was very sweet when we met, and I have a soft spot for younger tributes. If she dies because I didn't try to help, I won't be able to forgive myself. I walk at a brisk pace, closing the box with the food and sticking it in one of my pockets so that it's out of the way. I need my hand free.

I soon come to a break in the trees. I crouch behind a bush in order to stay hidden, and watch the spectacle in the clearing.

A large bonfire is set up in the center, and heavy tendrils of smoke snake above the trees. The clearing isn't too large, so the crowd of people is dangerously close to me. About a dozen men, women, and children wearing animal skins stand around the fire, chanting the song I heard. I have to look carefully to see through them and the fire, but Arabella is tied against a rock on the opposite side of the clearing, looking terrified.

One woman stands onto a rock, and everyone immediately stops singing. From what I can gather, she seems to be their leader. She begins to speak, but unfortunately, it's in a language I don't understand. But their full attention is on her, which gives me the opportunity to sneak around until I'm only a few feet away from Arabella.

"Arabella!" I hiss, but she doesn't hear me. She's watching the crowd of people in terror, although they are no longer looking at her.

At one point in the speech, the woman points at Arabella and says quite clearly, "the sacrifice," but then she returns to the language I don't understand. When nobody's looking at Arabella, I pull out my switchblade and quickly scamper over to her.

Scared she'll give me away, I clap a hand over her mouth before announcing my presence. It's a good thing I do, because I can feel her scream through my hand. It's muffled enough that they don't look at us. When she sees that it's just me, she relaxes and I remove my hand. She knows enough to not ask any questions while I try to use my switchblade to saw through the rope. However, it's wrapped around her several times, so it's taking a while.

I keep glancing up at the crowd in fear, since the speech seems to be wrapping to a close. It's only a matter of time before one of them notices us. The only reason they haven't is that they all seem determined to listen to every word the woman utters, so they don't look in our direction.

My switchblade finally snaps through the last rope, and just in the knick of the time. The woman stops talking immediately after Arabella springs free. They all turn to look at us, and for the first time, notice me. The speaker and I make eye contact for a few seconds, before Arabella grabs my wrist and yanks me toward the jungle.

We begin darting through the forest, but I can hear the group shouting behind us. They'll definitely on our tail, and they're not being subtle about it. I can hear the thunder of them behind us as we're chased through the trees. Arabella's faster than me, but I'm no slowpoke, so we manage to stay ahead. However, the lack of food and water for nearly a week weakens our endurance considerably, so I quickly begin to tire out. I can tell by Arabella's panting that she is as well.

When I can feel them starting to gain on us, I decide that we can't outrun them, so we must take a different approach. I glance behind us, and to my relief, I see that the jungle is dense enough that they can't see us well. They know where we are, but don't have a clear view. Which gives me the opportunity to pull Arabella to the side.

I yank her to the ground, behind a particularly large tree trunk. We lay on the ground, and I hope the shrubbery will cover us. Flat on my stomach, I try to slow my heavy breathing and listen to the thundering footsteps run past us. Even after they've passed, we remain still. I look up at Arabella - her brown hair is plastered to her terrified face, but a grin quickly breaks out across it.

"I think we're safe," she says after a moment. I listen nervously, but I don't hear the group coming back in our direction. "Thanks for saving me, Hadley."

"Of course," I mutter, as if it's no big deal, even though I nearly died. My heart is pounding heavily, and my face is slick with sweat. It's a pretty hot day, especially now that's it's about noon. "What happened?"

"They caught me while I was trying to gather food. I didn't want to go alone, but Rachel made me." Arabella's face falls. "She got the gem."

"Who? Tristana?" I ask hopefully. Arabella shakes her head and I feel a wave of disappointment.

"No. Rachel."

"Ugh," I groan on impulse.

"Yeah," Arabella says. "She grabbed it before Tristana or I could. But we really tried. Hey, if the offer still stands… could I join you and Axel?"

"Huh?" I ask, surprised. "I thought you wanted to remain loyal to your allies."

"Yeah, but… Rachel's becoming intolerable, and I don't really trust her anymore. I don't really trust anyone in my alliance. Maybe Tristana, but I don't know if any of them would have risked their lives for me. It's kind of a bad sign I trust you more than my actual allies," Arabella chuckles without much humor.

"Sure, you can join us," I tell her, still surprised. "Should we go now?"

"Actually, I think I should get some supplies from camp. Maybe I can steal a few. You and Axel don't have much, right?" I shake my head. "It might take a while, though - a few hours. I'll need to find a good opportunity to sneak away."

"I can't wait a few hours. Axel's injured, and I need to get back to him," I explain. Arabella looks crestfallen.

"Oh… Wait, how about we meet up later?"

"Where?" I ask, skeptical we'll be able to find each other again.

"Do you know where the river is?" she asks. I nod, having found it about an hour ago. "Go there in time for the fallen tributes. I'll meet you there. I'll probably be pretty early, but I can't say for sure."

"Okay."

"Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

Glorian took Trajan hunting early this morning because our food situation is dire. We haven't had anything to eat for days now, and for people who've had steady meals their whole lives, we're not coping well. You'd think that people who've trained to hunt their whole lives would be slightly better at it.

The Games were not designed for Careers, this year. Everyone knows that the Careers' biggest weakness is food and the fact that we rely heavily on the Gamemakers' hand-outs. Careers always do poorly in years where their food stash gets destroyed, or isn't there in the first place. And since none of us are trained with long-distance weapons, we can only hunt melee, which doesn't work very well. As useless as Glitter was, she was the only Career with any knowledge fo long-distance weapons.

We still have a crossbow, and lots of bolts, so Glorian instructed Cecelia and me to practice with it while he was gone. We've been trying, but we started to give up almost immediately.

Cecelia's just terrible when it comes to aiming, and for obvious reasons, I seriously struggled when it came to using the crossbow. One-armed shooting requires serious skill. Cecelia's still practicing, but not very hard. She's mostly focusing on our conversation.

"How difficult is it, with only one arm?" Cecelia asks, shooting a bolt. It misses the target by several feet.

"How difficult is what?"

"Everything. Life."

"Oh. It makes things harder, but by now, I don't notice it as much," I admit. "The real issue is how everyone else reacts to me. They expect very little of me because of my arm, which is annoying. People underestimate me all the time. Like Glorian - even though I scored a 9 in training, he hasn't let me gone hunting once. I haven't moved out of this clearing around the Cornucopia for almost a week."

"Well, I promise that when it's just the two of us, I won't keep you cooped up in the same place all day," Cecelia says, but I'm not done ranting.

"He sends everyone else hunting, but not me! Because of my missing arm. I like Glorian, but I wish he would stop underestimating me. That's why I Volunteered - to stop people underestimating me. It takes so much for people to respect me and believe I have a shot."

" _I_ believe you have a shot," Cecelia says, setting down the crossbow and walking over to me. She sits down next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulders.

"You're probably the only one," I laugh half-heartedly.

"That's not true!"

"It probably is. Even I don't have much confidence in myself -"

Before I know what's happening, Cecelia kisses me. Immediately, she jumps back. She looks just as surprised as I do. There's an uncomfortable silence while I try to process what's happening. Cecelia begins to stand up, but I pull her back next to me. And I kiss her back.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

"Arabella, would you please go get some food?" Rachel asks in an exasperated tone. "I've asked you, like, fifty times today."

"And I got food," I remind her, pointing at the stack of berries and one dead rat, which I somehow managed to catch on my way back from talking to Hadley. I haven't mentioned the danger I was in, because then I'd need to explain how Hadley saved me, which would inevitably raise some questions.

"We need more food than that," Rachel says. "You need to pull your weight, Arabella. Everyone else is working really hard."

I look around. Yael is helping Rachel construct a fire pit since she returned from gathering about three dry logs, which is by no means enough to build a steady fire. Tristana gathered berries for roughly an hour this morning and has done nothing since. She's just lying on the ground, napping. As for Rachel, all she's done is bark orders and waste a bunch of our matches. I'm the only one who has done a lick of work today.

Rather than pointing this out, I decide to seize the opportunity. It's a little sooner than I would have expected, but I might not get another chance.

"Fine," I say. "But I need something to carry the food in. I'll just bring a backpack."

"Fine. Just get us some food," Rachel says, rolling her eyes as she turns back to the fire. I walk over to where both of the backpacks lie, to the backs of my allies. None of them even batted an eye when I suggested I bring a backpack - they all think I'm too loyal to steal the supplies and ditch them. I wonder how long it will be before they realize I'm not coming back. Maybe they'll just think I got lost in the woods.

They're not over-trusting, per se. I'm guessing that if anyone else had announced they'd be bringing a backpack to gather berries, they'd be extremely suspicious. But they just think I'm too simple to even consider betraying them.

I quickly look through the first backpack, but it doesn't have a lot of important stuff. It does have a sleeping bag, though, so I keep that and the wire and dump everything else out. Our other satchel has a bit more supplies, including two water bottles (one full, one empty) and two throwing knives. I move these into my satchel and sling it around my shoulder. I don't have any food, but as I'm walking back toward Yael and Rachel, I scoop up a lot of my hard-earned berries and rat. They'll easily notice it's gone, but by then, I'll be too far for them to catch me.

I latch the satchel closed and walk past Yael and Rachel. For a moment, I feel a stab of guilt and almost set down the satchel. But then I remind myself that Hadley has done more for me than anyone else. He's the one who deserves my loyalty, not them.

I look over my shoulder one last time as I leave, but none of them are watching me. They don't even notice me leave.

I reach the river soon following my departure. Unfortunately, I know Hadley won't be here for hours, so I have some time to kill. But a river isn't a terrible place to have to wait. I find a seat on a rock by the river's edge, and fill one of the water bottles. It would be good to boil this before drinking it, but I don't want to light a fire when I'm alone. I'm not sure if I could, anyway. But it's nice to have a bit of water as a backup, and until I can purify this one, I'll just drink out of the other water bottle.

It's a little odd being so alone. I'm used to having at least one other person near me, and I'm not very comfortable with one person alone in the jungle. I thought I might enjoy the peace and quiet, but there's no peace and the quiet is unsettling.

I'm not sure what to do with the rest of the day. There's no point building a shelter since I'm planning on joining Hadley and Axel wherever they've decided to camp, and I've already gathered enough food for myself. I'm considering making some sort of game to entertain myself when I hear the snap of a branch behind me.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?"

Nervously, I twist in my seat until I'm looking up at the boy from District 5. He hovers over me like a monster, a sadistic grin spread across his face.

I scream.

* * *

 **First of all, it literally took me forever to write Noelani's POV (even though it's so short). I can't write romance at all.**

 **Please review! I'll probably be posting more frequently now that I'm out of school, but that's also what I said about summer break and I barely wrote then, so who knows?**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Rachel Ivy (D12F)  
Sapphire - Nobody**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **None (so far…)**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Vincent  
Tristana/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Dennis  
Arabella**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glitter Monique (D2F) - 1  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Noelani King (D4F) - 0  
Dennis Fielder (D5M) - 1  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 0  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 0  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1  
Arabella Cantros (D10F) - 0  
Yael Harident (D11F) - 0  
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	50. Day 6: Part 2: Flames are Rising

**Yay! We've reached the 50th chapter! For perspective, the 50th chapter of Flames was the first epilogue. This is a pretty short chapter, but it's about the intended length when I decided to split each day into two chapters. And it's got a bit of action, so hopefully, that will make up for its pitiful size!**

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

"Are we seriously lost?" I ask, beginning to grow angry. The sun shines brightly through the canopy of leaves; there's no rain today. Trajan slumps against a tree, allowing his bloody spear to fall to the ground.

"It appears that way," he sighs. "But, if it makes you feel better… this is all your fault."

"Why would that make me feel better?"

"It makes me feel better," he shrugs. I glare at him and drop the leopard carcass at my feet. My shoulder are aching, and my shirt is soaked in its blood. Fortunately, my jacket is red, so it isn't too visible, but the coppery scent sickens me. I'm trying to ignore it, but it's difficult when it's right next to my face.

"It's not my fault. I told you to watch the compass," I hiss. Frustrated, I slam the blade of my sword into the tree.

"I didn't hear you, then," Trajan replies.

"That's not my fault -"

"Besides, you have the compass. Even if I did hear, how would I watch it?" Trajan asks. He's annoyingly calm.

"I don't have the compass. I gave it to you," I say, but immediately after speaking, my compass falters. Did I really give it to him? I thought I did, but now I can't recall. I reach into my pocket to check, and sure enough, my fingers clasp around the metal compass. Trajan smirks, knowing I've been proven wrong. I feel my face turn red.

"Care to admit something?" he asks. I glare at him, not responding. I slump against the tree. This sucks. We finally get food and a lot of it, and then we get lost in the jungle. I was looking forward to bringing the leopard back to camp and feasting on it, tonight. It would really perk everyone up.

"How are we supposed to get back?" I question.

"Just wait until nightfall, when the fallen tributes show. It appears over the Cornucopia, so we can just walk toward that."

"That's actually a really good suggestion," I sigh.

"I know. And until then, we can just chill and relax. How great would that be?"

"I rested all of yesterday."

"I didn't," he reminds me. "I'd like to just sit here and do absolutely nothing."

"How's your arm?" I ask.

"Fine. It hurts, but I don't think it's infected or anything."

"Good."

"Will you allow me to give you some advice on leading the Career pack?"

"No."

Trajan continues talking as if he didn't hear me.

"Don't allow Cecelia and Noelani to be by themselves anymore, especially when guarding the supplies. We both know they have an inner alliance, and now that's we're venturing deeper into the Hunger Games, it's only a matter of time before they split off."

"Why are you so sure of that?" I ask him. I'm no idiot - I know for sure that Cecelia and Noelani have an inner alliance going on, but I don't think they'll betray me. I trust them, even more after yesterday. I'd truly be surprised if they betrayed me without warning.

"How are you _not_ sure of that?"

"Well, I trust them. And it's not like they can both win…"

 _They_ can _both win_.

I suddenly remember the gem Cecelia and I found a few days ago - the one that allows someone to survive along with the Victor. Would it truly be so crazy if Cecelia mentioned it to Noelani and they decided to return home together? With the knowledge that they can both survive, their loyalty to each other will strengthen considerably.

"Maybe you're right…" I admit. But I want to give them the benefit of the doubt - I might just keep one eye on them, now.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

I've made it.

I had to take many breaks over the climb to rest my arm, but I've made it. I've reached the top of the cliff, and now I'm more relaxed. I doubt any other tributes are up here, and I'll be at an advantage if any _try_ to get up here. I have a good view of the arena below, though the treetops don't allow me to see down into the jungle.

One surprise is the line. There's a wire leading over my head down to the center of the arena, likely near the Cornucopia. I can't see where it begins, but I think it might be a zipline. Only an idiot would use it, though, so I haven't been paying too much attention to it.

It's surprising to think that I've almost been in the Hunger Games for a week. Hopefully, they won't last much longer. I want to go home.

I'm going home to Ada. And no one can stop me. Lennox Porter _will_ be the Victor of the 248th Hunger Games, because she needs to. People underestimate determination. I will never give up.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

The girl from District 10 leaps to her feet and takes off, running away from me. I silently curse, knowing she'll likely be able to outrun me. Sure enough, she runs quickly through the jungle. She's very fast on her feet, and jumps over logs and roots with ease.

It's very lucky (for me, at least) that she happens to be running directly toward the cliff. That could trap her, or at least give me a chance to catch up. I have very good knowledge of this area because I've been searching for tributes all day.

I did die in the acid storm, but it did disfigure me a bit. I can't see out of my right eye anymore, and my skin feels scarred when I'm certain. I've never been too pretty, but I bet I've hit an all-time low right now. I don't have any need for good looks, though. My face still stings a bit, especially when I touch it, but it's not too bad. It's nothing compared to the pain I'll inflict on others.

I chase the girl to the very edge of the jungle. She's running so quick, she almost skids off the edge. However, she manages to stop herself at the last moment. She breathes a sigh of relief after her brush with death, but looks up and sees me only a few feet away from her. She gasps, and begins trying to run to the side, but I've closed in.

I use my arm to try and punch her, but she dodges it quickly. I realize that it's probably for the best, since I don't want to knock her off the edge. I need to be a bit more careful with my hits, because I want to the opportunity to torture her. If she goes tumbling down the side of the canyon, it's a loss for both of us.

I'm going to back up, and allow her to move closer to the tree line so the threat of falling off the edge isn't as imminent, but she unsheathes a dagger from her belt and lunges at me. It's surprising, and I don't get the chance to jump away. Her dagger sinks into the side of my stomach. I don't think she hit any organs, but it hurts like hell. However, this gives me the chance to disarm her.

I grab onto her wrist and tighten my grip painfully. She squeals and her dagger clatters to the ground, soaked with my blood. However, I don't let go until I hear a snap in her wrist.

The girl cries out in pain, and kicks my shin. I don't release her, but my grip slackens and she starts to slip away. I try to re-tighten it, but she slides free and takes off, nursing her broken wrist.

I see the blood-soaked dagger on the ground. I've never been great with distance weapons, but one throw won't hurt. I chuck the dagger at her just as she's about to run back into the jungle.

I was aiming for her head, but the throw is slightly low. It embeds itself in her thigh. Luckily, this makes her fall flat on her stomach. I rush over before she can try to escape. There's a decent-sized rock on the ground which I grab in one hand. She's trying to crawl away, but I grab a chunk of her brown hair and yank her head back.

"Please don't kill me," is all she can manage to say. I let out a low chuckle.

"Kill you? I'm not going to do that right now!" I say. I see hope flicker in her eyes.

"You're not?"

"No. But by the time I'm done with you, you'll wish you were dead."

With that, I smash the rock into her skull. She slumps to the ground immediately, unconscious. There's a trickle of blood on her forehead, but I know she's not dead. I can still have my fun.

I grab ahold of her ankles, and begin dragging her into the jungle. A smile has formed on my face.

 _This is going to be fun..._

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

 _The bridge doesn't look too steady,_ I think with concern as I look across the canyon. It's a simple rope bridge, with wooden planks placed inconsistently along the ropes. The rope also looks frayed in some parts, likely from the acid rain.

Although my concerns are valid, I decide to risk crossing the bridge anyway. I sheath my sword into my belt. To my disappointment, a few flakes of dry blood are scraped off the blade. I wanted proof of having defeated both Glitter and Trajan Seth in battle. But I quickly shake it off. There are worse things.

I hold onto the ropes tightly as I attempt to cross, but while they creak and bend, they don't look too close snapping. I'm slightly concerned, but I think I can make it. I speed up my pace, so I cross the bridge rather quickly.

I'm almost fully across when I hear a gunshot. I jump, but it doesn't seem to be too close to me. It definitely wasn't _at_ me, so I continue on with some reassurance.

I reach the other side without issue. It looks similar to the jungle on the opposite side, but who knows what dangers lurk in this new forest?

"There's only one way to find out," I mutter as I step into the dense, green jungle.

* * *

 **District 10**

 **Arabella Cantros**

* * *

My head aches painfully as I blink my bleary eyes awake. Everything's blurry at first, but I quickly regain my senses. I try to lift my arms to feel the bump on my head, but I can't move them. That's when I realize I'm trapped.

My arm and torso are bound to a log, and I can't move away from it. They're tied down with leather, and it takes me a few minutes to recognize my restraints as a whip, and the copper wire that was in my bag. I struggle to break out of the bonds, but it's tied well and I can't even wiggle.

I try looking around at my surroundings, but I don't see Dennis. Unfortunately, I can't move my head enough to see behind me, so he might be right there. Then, I look down, and almost burst into tears.

I'm sitting in a giant firepit. Unlit sticks lay around me, but there's no question to what they'll be used for. I hope I'm wrong, but I know I'm not. I try to use my legs to walk away, but they're held down with copper wire chained to rocks, and the wire cuts my ankles when I try to move them. Besides, the log is too heavy to allow me to go anywhere.

"Oh, are you awake?"

I shiver at the sound of his voice. I look to my right just as he walks into my vision. Dennis is holding my dagger in one hand, and two sticks in another. I'm guessing he doesn't have matches, which comforts me. If he's stuck with creating a friction fire, it might buy me some time. If he can't create a fire with friction, maybe he'll put me out of my misery quickly. I only hope sponsors aren't looking forward to seeing me burned alive, because matches aren't too expensive.

"I was the best with fire-making in training," Dennis informs me. "I got smoke, but not an actual fire. Friction-wise, in case you were wondering." I feel a bit of hope in my chest. If he didn't _actually_ get fire, maybe I'll be okay. "I was a bit hesitant when it came to creating fire in the Hunger Games, but I got it on my first try, after only half an hour. I've had much more practice, and now it comes very naturally to me."

I feel my heart plummet. Dennis grins widely at my fear.

"Don't you want to see me make a fire?" he asks. I shake my head, and he laughs. Dennis kneels down directly in front of me, so that I have no choice but watch him create flame. Dennis gets his two sticks and begins rubbing them together at a quick pace. Almost immediately, smoke begins to rise.

"No…" I whisper, feeling tears roll down my cheeks. My heart is pounding so much, I feel as though it might break out of my chest. I squirm around some more for escape, but the wire cuts into my ankles and draws a bit of blood.

"There's a flame," Dennis announces, and I automatically look to see if he's bluffing. He's not. What was just a bit of fire quickly lights one of the sticks up, and he throws it at my feet. The heat is immediately evident, even before it catches onto the other branches.

"No!" I shout, try to get away. The wire digs deeper into my ankles, but I no longer care. I manage to move the rocks holding me down a bit, but my torso is still stuck to the log. To my terror, I look down and see that the flames have quickly caught onto the other sticks. Smoke and fire cloud my vision, and it isn't long before the log I'm tied to catches fire.

"Hadley!" I scream, but intake a lot of smoke into my lungs and begin coughing. Flames begin licking up my body, and suddenly the pain's unbearable. I'm no longer surrounded by fire - I _am_ on fire. "Hadley!" I scream again.

I think I hear shouting for a second. It's difficult to recognize through my sobbing. I think it's Hadley. Is Hadley hear? Will he save me?

But it's just Dennis laughing. Through the flames that are climbing around me, I can see him watching me and laughing with glee. The last thing I see before everything goes dark is his smile. The wide, evil smile.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

Glorian and I have arrived back at camp. The fallen tributes didn't show anyone tonight, since no one has died, but the emblem was shown long enough for us to get a basic idea of how to get back. It turns out, we were only about fifteen minutes away from the Cornucopia.

Now, we're feasting on the leopard. Cecelia built a giant fire, and we cooked the leopard very fast. We have a lot of meat tonight, and it has put us all in a good mood.

For _some_ of us, it's a suspiciously good mood.

Noelani and Cecelia have been very happy all day, which leads me to one conclusion - they're scheming to betray us. Glorian said he wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I think he's being stupid. I'm sleeping with one eye open tonight.

As we sit around the fire, everyone's silent. We're all busy stuffing our mouths with cooked leopard. It's not delicious by any means, but we're all so hungry, we're satisfied with it. The fire flickers brightly - it's a big fire, probably the biggest we've had since today was dry. There wasn't any rain, so we have more dry firewood than we've had in a while.

A cannon booms for the first time today. I jump, slightly startled by the sudden noise. Immediately following the cannon, the Capitol anthem begins to play again. They do that when someone dies during the night - they quickly show their picture.

I look up and see the little girl from District 10 in the sky. I'm honestly not too surprised. Twelve-year-olds rarely last long in the Hunger Games.

When her picture fades, we all return to eating. I glance across the fire and see Cecelia and Noelani sitting very close to one another. Cecelia whispers something in Noelani's ear, and she laughs.

Were they talking about me? I wouldn't be surprised… I glance at Glorian, but he's ignoring the obvious signs that they're scheming to betray us any day now. Oh well. If he doesn't listen to me, it will be his own damn fault. He can never say I didn't warn him.

* * *

 **I feel like my chapters are declining in length, which might be due to fewer tributes. This is the length I initially intended, though, so I'm not upset. However, I'm considered when we get down to the Final 8 or so, the chapters will be really short.**

 _ **Please**_ **answer this in the reviews - should I switch to two chapters per day now that the tributes are dwindling down (including Capitol chapters; so one in the Hunger Games and one with the Capitol or other out-of-Games characters)? If so, at what point?**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Rachel Ivy (D12F)  
Sapphire - Nobody**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Vincent  
Tristana/Yael/Rachel  
Axel/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Dennis**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glitter Monique (D2F) - 1  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Noelani King (D4F) - 0  
Dennis Fielder (D5M) - 2  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 0  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 0  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1  
Yael Harident (D11F) - 0  
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	51. Cooper Sharlock I

**District 8**

 **Cooper Sharlock**

* * *

The streets of District 10 are empty as we walk down them in huddled clumps. Satin advised us to stay out of the light, but this part of District 10, so close to town, has many street lamps. A lot has been vandalized, but they shed enough light on us that I'm concerned. It was easier to sneak through the District when we were in the more rural portion, where there were just fields and farms. James did wake up a cow at one point (he stubbed his toe, cursed loudly, and the cow began to moo), which was a little nerve-racking, but we got out of there quickly.

"Why is it so empty?" James hisses at Satin.

"The District's probably in mourning, right now. Their last tribute just died, and Districts always get upset when the younger children die. Plus, it's about 3 AM, so I don't think many people have to be up yet, anyway."

This is the first time Satin has allowed James or I to help him recruit rebels. We don't really know what's going on right now, because Satin didn't fully explain who we're visiting, but he hinted that it's someone well-known.

I'm not too surprised when we turn into the Victor's Village, but James's eyes widen and he gasps. I don't think he has a lot of experience with Victors. I, on the other hand, knew a Victor quite well (Rylan) and don't idolize them very much.

"Who is it?" James asks, excitedly, but Satin just shushes him.

District 10's Victor's Village is kind of shabby. There are a dozen houses lining the street, but only two look lived-in. The rest are dark and have started to fall apart a bit. I look at Satin, confused, because to my knowledge, District 10 has five living Victors. Why are there only two well-kept houses?

"I'll explain inside," Satin whispers. He leads James and me _past_ the two adjacent well-kept houses and takes us to the very end of the street. We stop at one of the most decrepit houses, and to my shock, he begins walking up the pathway. James and I share a questioning look but fall him.

Satin knocks at the door.

"Can you tell us now?" I ask.

"Actually, I suppose there's no one to wake up," he mentions, looking around. "The Pollock siblings are in the Capitol right now. Okay, so this is the house of Ariston Thorn."

"Who?" James asks. The name sounds vaguely familiar to me, but I don't remember him well.

"Victor of the 184th Hunger Games," Satin explains. "He mentors every few years, but hasn't had many successes."

"Why are the houses so empty?" I ask.

"I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing it's because most Victors of District 10 come from a farming background. They're generally the stronger ones, who have experience with machetes and rope. The Victor's Village is in the town part of District 10, which rarely produces Victors. I suppose the Victors generally prefer the countryside to the Victor's Village, which is why there are so few people here. I know for a fact that Pippa and Butch live with their families, in the rural part of District 10. Dakota and Furr Pollock, they live in those two houses, the well-kept ones."

Satin knocks again, since Ariston still hasn't opened the door. We wait for a moment, and he still doesn't open the door.

"He's probably asleep," Satin sighs. Satin twists the doorknob, and the door swings right open. We walk inside the house. I feel pretty uncomfortable because this is trespassing, but James and Satin look fine with it, so I don't say anything.

The interior of the house is better-kept, but it still doesn't look too homely. We wander into the living room, where I nearly have a heart attack. A large, elderly man is sitting in an armchair, watching us.

"You just let yourself in?" he asks in a cool tone.

 _We're busted, we're busted, we're going to jail… No, we're getting executed. We're dead, why did we do this?_

"If you don't want people letting themselves in, why do you leave the door unlocked?" Satin questions, taking a seat on the couch across from Ariston.

"One of these days, I'm going to have a heart attack. When I do, I want people to find me quickly," Ariston says simply. He grabs a teacup from the side table and takes a long sip. "So you want me to join your little rebel group?"

"Obviously," Satin replies.

"Do you guys know each other?" James asks, confused.

"No," Ariston says. "But I've heard of Satin Davison, and he's clearly heard of me."

"Of course I have," Satin replies. "Who hasn't heard of Big Ari?"

"I haven't heard of 'Big Ari'," James says, rolling his eyes.

"I've heard of Big Ari!" I lie.

"No, you haven't."

"Fine, I haven't," I admit.

"Don't call me Big Ari," Ariston groans. "That's what the monsters in the Capitol nicknamed me, and I hate that. They made me into some sort of a freak. And the name _Ari_? It doesn't sound tough. It's a girl's name."

"What Games did you win again?" James interjects.

"The 184th. Worst year of my life," Ariston says bitterly, taking another sip of tea.

"Wow. You must be old," James says. I elbow him in the side, and he shuts up.

"I am."

"Could I have some tea?" James asks, and I roll my eyes. "I haven't had any for over a year now, and I miss daily tea time. My mom would brew tea every afternoon, and she'd also bake pastries. But the pastries were terrible. Mom wasn't… she wasn't the best baker." To my surprise, James's voice cracks. He looks pretty sad at the memory of his parents.

"Are you the kid who's family was executed?" Ariston asks.

"Yeah. Markus's brother. I'm James Blacksworth."

"You can have some tea. The kettle is in the kitchen - cups are in the cabinet above the stove," Ariston tells him. James walks in the direction of the kitchen, and I follow him.

"Some tea actually sounds nice," I admit.

"No, not you," says Ariston.

"Huh?" I ask, pausing.

"Only James. Your family's not dead."

"They might be," I mutter.

"They're not," Ariston says simply. "I know that for a fact."

"You do?" I ask, excited.

"Yes. I'll tell you about it later. Anyway, Satin?"

"Yes?"

"What's your pitch? I'm guessing you planned some sort of speech to convince me to join the rebels."

"What makes you think that?"

"Why would you come here with nothing prepared?" Ariston asks. Satin leans forward, looking serious.

"Because I know that you _want_ to join the rebels. Don't act like you don't - if you didn't, you wouldn't ask to hear my pitch. You hate the Capitol, and have nothing left to lose. They've ridiculed you for years, and when they finally got tired of you, they just made you mentor tributes every year. I know that most mentors are bitter at the Capitol, but you more than most."

"Wait, why were you ridiculed?" I ask. Ariston jumps, as if he forgot I was here.

"I know you don't recognize me, but I would have thought you'd have heard of me," Ariston grins. He stands up, and my mouth drops open. Ariston Thorn's head almost brushes the ceiling. He must be nearly eight feet tall. "This is why they call me _Big Ari_."

"So? Will you join the rebellion?" Satin asks, standing up. I thought Satin was tall, but he looks tiny next to Ariston.

"I guess," Ariston sighs. "You're right. I have nothing left to lose."

* * *

 **Here's another check-in with Satin and Cooper! In memory of Arabella, we've introduced Ariston Thorn - the oldest living Victor of District 10! He may or may not play an important role in this… ;)**

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F): Burned alive by Dennis Fielder - I loved Arabella, and I don't think it would have been too unrealistic for me to take her further, but I wanted Dennis to get at least one more kill before his death - I wanted to give him an opportunity to go crazy and be the evilest person he could be before dying. Unfortunately, I thought Arabella would be the best victim out of everyone remaining since most remaining tributes would be able to escape or mess him up a bit. At this point, the only people who would fit in this death would be Arabella, Axel, or Lennox. Lennox is too far away, and I feel like I've subjected her to Dennis's insanity enough. As for Axel, I didn't think it was his time, yet. So Arabella fit best. I realize it's not very comforting that my reason for Arabella to die is so that the villain can torture her as much as he wants, but it's what fits best for the story. Sorry for killing her, Anna. I really liked her. RIP Arabella.**

 **\- Lilah**


	52. Day 7: Part 1: Honor of the Kill

**With only 12 left, I decided to change the number of chapters to two per day. This is all of Day 7; I also just realized that I haven't posted a Day 7 poll yet, so that will be on my profile.**

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

I had another nightmare last night. The face of Lucretius haunts me, as does the two children I killed - the boy from District 12 and the girl from District 8. It makes me feel upset inside… not like guilt. It can't be guilt. I don't feel guilty about murder. Maybe I'm just going crazy. I prefer that idea to the one where I could possibly be feeling empathy.

The tip of my spear has been scrubbed clean of blood, but it still reminds me of when I plunged it into the heart of the thirteen-year-old from District 8. No matter how much I try to admire myself for killing her, I can't manage to feel pride anymore. Why should I feel proud? She was a child, crippled by the time I got to her. Why should I feel proud of delivering the final blow? Maybe Lucretius had it right…

Cecelia sits up suddenly, awake from her slumber. She looks around, panicked when she realizes Noelani isn't here. She finally sees me, and glares, as if I did something to Noelani.

"Glorian took her hunting," I explain. For some reason, no insults come to mind. Even my sheep-wolf threats sound stupid when I play them over in my brain. I return to sharpening my spear, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Cecelia looking surprised at my silence.

"I'm surprised," she remarks. "No sheep or wolves?"

I glare at her.

"Do you want me to talk more about sheep or wolves?" I ask. She shakes her head and falls silent.

* * *

 **District 5**

 **Dennis Fielder**

* * *

The pair from District 1 sits inside of the Cornucopia, silently sharpening their weapons. I suppose they don't have much else to do.

I crouch behind a large plant, watching them through the leaves. I'm waiting for them to become distracted, so I can have the opportunity to run in and steal some food. As if on queue, the two of them and stand up and exit the Cornucopia. They walk over to a large fire pit where smoldering remains lay.

I watch as they both begin trying to start it, and I take this as my opportunity. If I wait any longer, they might decide only one of them needs to start the fire and the other will go back into the Cornucopia.

I carefully look both ways before racing toward the metal horn. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see that they haven't seen me. My fortunate position allows their backs to face me, so I don't have to worry about them noticing me unless they happen to turn around. I skid to a stop at the mouth of the Cornucopia and begin sifting through the supplies.

Unfortunately, the Careers haven't gained much since the last time I was here. I was hoping they found a lot of food or were sponsored some great supplies, but it doesn't seem that way. However, this does give me the opportunity to take some of the things I didn't have space to carry last time, including more of their blankets. It will by no means benefit me greatly, but I'd like to see the Careers lose a decent chunk of their supplies.

I'm packing stuff into my bag when something slams against me from behind and I'm knocked into the ground.

"I got him!" a female shouts out. I curse, struggling to get to my feet. That means the girl from District 1 was the person who tackled me, which is slightly humiliating. She did take me by surprise, though, so it's not like it's my fault. I grab my satchel, but I'm yanked to my feet by a strong pair of hands - the _boy_ from District 1.

"Look! He was trying to steal the supplies!" the boy shouts, holding me up by my collar. I'm tall, but so's the boy from District 1. I bring my elbow into his stomach, and he immediately drops me. I start to run out, but the girl slams her sword into my thigh.

"Agh!" I yell out, face-planting on the ground. This time, a boot is pressed hard into my back, keeping me pinned to the ground. My face is smashed into the dirt, so I can barely breathe.

"Here, you can have the honor of the kill," I hear the boy say.

"Why?" asks the girl suspiciously.

"I'm just being nice."

"Ha! That word isn't in your vocabulary. Why do you want me to kill him?"

"You've only had one kill, I've had two. We should make it even. It's fair."

"Since when do you care about what's fair? You kill him."

"I don't want to."

There's an awkward silence. I'm very glad the two Careers who caught me are the ones arguing about who has to kill me. It gives me a chance to flip over, grab the boy's leg, and knock him to the ground. I see the girl rushing toward me, but I jump to my feet and begin running back toward the jungle before she can jump on me again. I'm not getting knocked down by a girl for a _second_ time.

I leap into the bushes, hiding behind them. The clearing with the Cornucopia is right next to me, but I'm not moving anymore. My leg aches painfully. As I peer through the leaves, I notice with relief that the District 1 pair is not chasing after me. The girl helps her District partner to his feet and they begin looking through my satchel with glee.

I curse, just now realizing I left my bag behind. It had a bunch of marvelous goodies, probably more than the Careers did. I can see them celebrating over the supplies as they look through it.

I may not have my supplies, but at least I have my life. After a week in the arena, it's beginning to become something I'm appreciating more and more.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

"Why do you want to cross the canyon again?" Axel asks as we trudge through the jungle.

"We need to be closer to the Cornucopia," I explain. "Half the tributes are gone, which means a feast will be announced soon. While I don't know if going would be the best idea, it's definitely important to have the opportunity to attend. Some years, it's required. Feast or death. I'd much sooner choose the former."

"It seems like a reach."

"You can never be too prepared in the Hunger Games. Besides, the Careers have dwindled down to four, so they're less of a threat."

"The four highest-scoring Careers," Axel reminds me. "One of them got an eleven!"

"I'm sure none got their score based on tracking ability. We just need to keep an eye open. It's unlikely we'll run into any. And as soon as the feast is over, we'll re-cross."

"Fine," Axel mutters.

The jungle ends suddenly, and I can see the canyon. I thought we'd need to walk further, but I suppose we've wandered closer to the canyon than I expected. There are no bridges in front of us, though, only the canyon. I walk out to the edge, Axel warning me to be careful, and look both ways for the rope bridge.

It's an unusually clear day in this arena, free of fog, so I'm able to spot the bridge some ways to our right. I wave Axel over, point it out to him, and we begin walking in that direction.

When we reach the bridge, I'm dismayed to see that the acid rain has frayed it a bit. The wooden planks have holes, and the rope is thin in some parts. It doesn't look very sturdy. It didn't look good in the first place, so it's pretty dangerous right now.

"Do you seriously want us to cross that?" Axel asks.

"Well, we will have to at some point. It will likely get worse the longer we wait, right? There might be more acid rain, or someone might break it."

"That _someone_ might be us," Axel reasons. "Maybe there are more bridges - after all, the Gamemakers wouldn't want to divide tributes, would they?"

"I'm not taking any chances," I respond, and take a step onto the bridge. It creaks, but supports my weight.

"Hadley, this seems like a huge risk."

"I know, but we have to take it," I say. I take a few more steps until I'm completely above the canyon. Axel still hasn't stepped on. I know that no matter how much he hesitates, he _will_ follow me. I walk forward a bit more, and wave him on. Hesitantly, he steps onto the ladder. It dips even lower with his added weight. My hands automatically tighten on the rough rope handles and I feel my stomach plummet, but it doesn't snap.

Noticing the fragility, Axel tries to step lightly as he hurries over to me. I walk forward a bit more, until we're half-way across. I look back, checking on Axel. He's fine, but he looks terrified. His face is sickly pale as he clutches the rails and gazes downward.

"Don't look down," I advise.

"I have to look at where I'm placing my feet!" he exclaims shrilly. My eyes wander away from his head and I notice something that strikes terror into my heart. Standing on the end of the canyon, from where we emerged, is the boy from District 7. He's staring at us, and he has a sword in hand.

"Axel, run," I whisper.

"Huh?"

"Run!" I shout, taking off down the bridge. I need to get to the other side before the boy decides to do something. I have an awful feeling he's planning on cutting the bridge's supports and send us flying into the canyon below.

My careless running is taking me across quickly, but about two thirds of the way across the bridge, one of the planks gives in. It breaks in two and I begin to fall downward. I gasp and reach out, grasping the ropes on either side. It's a good thing I did, because they're the only thing keeping me from falling. My legs dangle above the canyon without support. I'm trying to pull myself back up, but every time I look below, I get dizzy.

Suddenly, I feel someone pulling me upward. It's Axel. He can't carry my weight fully, but with his help, I manage to pull myself up and onto the next step.

Panting, I hold out my hand to help him across the gaping hole in the bridge. I glance back, and notice with horror that the boy from District 7 is holding his sword in the air, directly above the bridge. He brings it down onto the rope.

The whole bridge shakes, but the rope doesn't snap completely. It will only take a few more hits, though.

"Let's go!" I shout at Axel, and we continue rushing. Once again, I'm careless and I almost trip. But I don't. Axel does, though. He falls, almost taking me down with him.

Somehow, he doesn't break through the boards, but he does slow our pace. I pause to help him out, but I see District 7 hit the rope again. This time, it snaps.

One of the holds snaps, but there are three more ropes keeping the bridge in place. He moves onto the next. I yank Axel to his feet, and we begin running again. We're only a few feet away from safety…

With another snap, one of the lower ropes breaks and the board fall from underneath us. I hear Axel scream and my stomach leaps up to my throat. For a second, I'm in the air with nothing below me, and then I begin to drop.

My hand shoots out and grabs ahold of the final rope. It's the only thing between life and death right now. I look back at the boy, and he's getting ready to chop this one. Axel has also managed to grab onto the rope, and he's hanging on for dear life. I don't know what to do.

He brings his sword down and as if in slow motion, the rope breaks. Axel and I, still holding onto it, go swinging toward the rock face. We gain momentum as we swing forward, and my hair is pushed away from my face thanks to the wind. I hit the rock side with a hard impact, and the breath is knocked out of me.

"Uh!" I grunt, and automatically let go of the rope. I'm extremely lucky that there's a ledge only about a foot under me which I fall onto. It takes me a few seconds to figure out how to breathe again, but when I have, I'm faced with another issue.

"Axel?" I gasp, terrified.

"Hadley! Help!" a cry comes from underneath the ledge. I peek my head over the side and see Axel, who was hanging a bit lower on the rope, still clutching to it as he dangles above the canyon. He looks terrified. "I can't hold on much longer!" he cries. "I'm slipping!"

"Wait, hold on!" I shout. I try to grab the rope, but it's too far. The ledge doesn't extend that far, so I can't pull him up using that. I empty my backpack in a panic, searching for _something_ I might use.

My lasso falls out, and I sob in relief.

"Axel, grab on!" I shout hoarsely, throwing one side down below. Axel grabs for it, and manages to get a firm grip. I begin to yank him up. It's a good thing I'm strong and he's light, because I just barely manage to get him onto the ledge. He's crying from his near-death experience. I hug him tightly. I notice with slight concern that his arm is bleeding through the bandage again, but that's not very important right now. At least we're alive.

I look up and see the boy from District 7 standing on the other end, watching us. I can't see his face from this distance, but I'm guessing he's not too happy. After a second, he walks back into the jungle.

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

I'm panicking. I'm trying not to let Glorian see, but I think he can sense my fear. I'm just terrified that something's going to happen to Cecelia. Glorian made me leave her alone with _Trajan_. They obviously hate each other, and there's no telling what Trajan may do if he's alone with her.

Or what Cecelia might do to him. Because she hates him just as much as he hates her, probably even more. I'm just very confident that any moment now, a cannon will ring out signaling one of their deaths.

Glorian's watching me out of the corner of his eye while we hike through the jungle. He knows I'm distracted.

"Everything okay?" he questions. I shrug.

"I'm just pretty confident that by the time we return to camp, either Cecelia or Trajan will be dead," I admit. Glorian chuckles lightly, which bothers me. "What?"

"There's nothing to worry about," he assures me. "Cecelia can beat Trajan in a fight. She'll be okay."

"Well, what if she kills him?"

"Are you seriously worrying for Trajan now?" Glorian raises an eyebrow.

"Not _for_ him. But I know that if she kills him…"

"You think I'll kill her and avenge his death?" Glorian completes. "Or kick her out of the Careers?" I don't respond, but my silence says enough. "I wouldn't do that. I prefer you two to Trajan _by far_. And I trust you much more than I trust Trajan. I wouldn't ditch you guys, even if Cecelia killed Trajan. Don't worry - I'm loyal to you two."

Glorian looks ahead, smiling obliviously. I feel a spike of guilt in my chest. He has no clue Cecelia and I are planning on leaving any day now. In fact, we've decided that the moment we get an opportunity, we'll leave with all the supplies we can carry. But Glorian has no idea.

I'm pretty sure that Glorian trusts us a lot and is hoping the Career alliance will stick together until the end. But I know that Cecelia and I will disrupt that plan. There's no way Glorian and Trajan will stick together after we split off, so we'll pretty much be leaving him to fend for himself without any supplies.

I used to think he'd be fine by himself - he got an 11 after all. But after learning that 11 was from _magic tricks_? I'm not so sure he can function very well by himself. I have no doubt that Glorian has skill, but I no longer think of him as some invincible guy.

Glorian glances at me again. He must mistake my guilt as worry, because he wraps an arm around me in a comforting way and whispers, "everything's going to be alright," to me. "It's going to be the three of us to the end."

It's difficult to hide the grimace that emerges on my face after that statement, but Glorian's still clueless. The poor guy doesn't know what's coming.

* * *

 **District 11**

 **Yael Harident**

* * *

My head is aching like crazy. The voices ping-pong around inside of it, bouncing against my skull and driving me mad. I thought I could control them. I thought they were gone. But I was wrong.

It all started when we saw Arabella's picture in the sky. We were hoping she had just gone lost, but a tiny part of us knew that she was gone for good. While Tristana and I were mourning, Rachel made a remark about how the supplies were gone, and suggested that perhaps Arabella had tried ditching us and left the alliance. Then, Tristana got really upset. She argued that Arabella would never do such a thing, and it was an insult to her memory to suggest Arabella was anything but loyal to us.

They literally fought all night long, keeping me up. As I tried to sleep, I couldn't help but begin to hear voices. They started out quiet, but they grew stronger and stronger as time passed. Eventually, I managed to fall asleep. It was a momentary relief. When I awoke, the voices were screaming inside of my head. They wanted me to kill. To murder my allies.

Rachel and Tristana were fast asleep after a night of bickering, so they don't even notice when I sneak away. I'm worried I won't come back, but I don't want to be disloyal. I know that me leaving is what's best for our alliance, though - if I stay, I'll undoubtedly kill one of them.

I don't bother taking any supplies. I don't deserve them, and it's better if my allies keep them.

I also want to let go of my weapon, but my hands won't unlatch from the butt of the whip. My knuckles are practically white, they're clenched so tightly. I quickly give up trying to let go - I know it's futile.

It's only midday. That realization shocks me. But that time quickly passes because I wander around the jungle for hours, my skull nearly about to crack open. I've begun to realize that the only way to stop the pain - to get the voices to shut up, even if temporarily, is if I kill. I don't want to kill, but I feel like I won't be able to resist. I only hope I don't run into anyone else…

I stumble upon the canyon, where we've crossed the bridge many times. I drag myself to the edge and kneel on the rock. There's no fog today, so I can see straight down into the canyon. There's barely anything at the bottom - just rock and shrub. I don't think the Gamemakers expect any tribute to venture down there - if they do, they'll die on impact. I scoot myself closer to the edge.

Would it be easier if I just jumped right now? If I through myself off the edge? I don't want to hurt anyone. I've never wanted to. But the voices in my head tell me to, and it's difficult for me to resist. I want to be a good person, just like my family. My parents were always the most selfless, amazing people. And I wanted to be like them, but the nagging voice didn't allow me.

When I ran off into the woods, away from them, I knew I was breaking their hearts. They didn't know why their daughter suddenly separated herself from them, and didn't allow any contact. They didn't understand what they had done wrong.

But I couldn't tell them. They must be watching me right now. They can see me gradually losing my mind. How will they feel when they see me lose control? What will they think when they see the girl they raised become a monster?

I want to jump off the edge, into the canyon. I don't want to subject anyone to the voices… or me. Because they are a part of me, aren't they? Are they something separate… or is it just me? Am I the one who wants to kill? Or am I just being forced to? I don't know, but what could make it better? I still kill, and I still kill innocent people. Well, I haven't yet. But the urge is growing stronger.

My eyes drift and I notice two figures across the canyon. Nearly _in_ the canyon. I can tell by the color of their jackets that it's Hadley and Axel. They must have gotten stuck on the ledge, because they're trying to scale back up. I'm so glad they're inaccessible because I know that if I had the option, the voices wouldn't hesitate to make me kill one or both of them. And I don't want to kill Hadley or Axel.

Or do I? Because the voice might have been me all along… So is it me who wants to kill Hadley and Axel?

I hope not.

It would be easier for everyone if I just threw myself down the canyon.

No innocent kids have to die. At least at my hands…

My parents don't have to see me become a monster...

I wouldn't have to kill. I'd die without innocent blood on my hands. I could die at peace, knowing that I wasn't a terrible monster. And even if I did scheme up terrible plans and had urges to kill innocent people, I never went through with them. I could finally be at peace.

I've made up my mind. The idea of ending everything right now seems so tempting, it's impossible to refuse. It benefits everyone. It could be my last chance to do something _good._ I move right to the end, at the point where my legs are hanging off. I grab the edges of the cliff, preparing to push myself off and into an eternity of peace…

 _Don't jump._

The voice stops me. I freeze. No! I almost did it! But now, I can't. Not when the voices are shouting at me not to. I can't resist them anymore, not even with the smallest things.

 _You haven't done what we've wanted yet. You have to kill. Plenty of tributes are nearby - it won't be hard to see them. And if you don't find any by nightfall, you always know where Tristana and Rachel are…_

"No!" I shout aloud. I won't kill my allies… or former allies, possibly. I don't know whether I'll return or not. I hope not. Across the canyon, Hadley and Axel are staring at me with shock. They must have heard me yell out.

"Yael! A little help?" Hadley shouts, echoing across the canyon. My eyes widen. He wants me to pull him up… to what he thinks is safety. But I know if I have the opportunity, I _will_ kill them.

"No…" I mutter under my breath. There's no way he can hear me, but I give him a clear hint of my response by standing up and walking back into the jungle. He must be a bit confused, but I can't worry about that now. It doesn't matter if he thinks me rude… he doesn't know that I just saved him… from myself.

The voices begin to shout even louder in my head. It nearly drowns everything else out. I can no longer hear the constant bug chirping or the wind blowing through plants. All I can hear are the voices in my head ordering me to kill.

I come to a halt the second I stumble across a campsite. There's a crudely constructed shelter directly next to an even larger firepit. Ash and burnt logs lay inside of it, but there are no remains of whatever the owner was cooking. I suppose they ate all of it. I can't blame them - in the Hunger Games, there are no leftovers.

At first, I'm pleased. Nobody's home. Nobody's inside the shelter, or seemingly anywhere nearby.

But when I turn around, there's someone standing behind me. A tall, scarred guy with one eye messed up. The boy from District 5, Dennis Fielder, doesn't look well. He looks surprised to see me. He's holding a group of rats by the tail in one hand (dinner, likely) and a dagger in the other. After the initial shock fades, his surprise turns into a grin and he leaps at me with surprising agility.

The voices tell me to kill him. I breathe a sigh of relief. I know that this guy will undoubtedly kill me first. While I'm slightly afraid to die at his hands, at least I won't have killed anyone first. My conscience can be at rest.

I only have a whip. He has a dagger. He's much larger than me, even though I wouldn't call myself small. To my delight (and obviously his) the odds are stacked against me.

Until I realize he's injured. He limps a bit, and then I notice a tear and fresh bloodstain on his leg. His thigh has recently been injured, and that puts him at a disadvantage. I'm still in fairly good health, so when he lunges at me, I can sidestep. When the voice commands me to snap the whip against his injured leg, he can't move.

The leather strap hits the injury with a sickening crack. It wraps around his thigh before falling loose. He yells out and drops to his knees in pain. The dagger he was carrying hits the ground at my feet, and I have no control over myself when I pick it up and approach him.

He's not going down without a fight, though. When I'm about to slice his throat (quite unwillingly, I may add) he jumps toward me and knocks me to the ground. My ankle gets caught at an awkward ankle and when he violently slams his entire weight down on me, it snaps loudly and a flash of pain runs up my leg. I yell out, and his smile reappears.

 _Don't just lay there you fucking idiot, stab him!_

I still have the dagger. I sit up, jamming the blade into his stomach.

The fight, where everything was happening at a pace so fast I could barely understand what was happening, suddenly slows. Time begins to crawl. Dennis's face is one of absolute shock. He looks down at the dagger handle sticking out of his stomach, shocked. He's still kneeling over me, so when he slumps down, he's still partially on top of me.

"I didn't think…" he begins, but doesn't finish his sentences. He looks at me, no rage left in his expression, and opens his mouth as if to say something, but closes it. He grabs the handle of the dagger, but doesn't remove it from his stomach. He considers it for a moment, then lays back and closes his eyes. He breathes out one final breath, and…

 _BOOM!_

The moment the cannon fires, something snaps in me.

I can no longer hear the voices, but I don't feel peace. I feel completely empty. As if when the voices left, so did the rest of me.

I killed someone… I killed someone… I killed someone…

Playing on a loop in my brain is… I killed someone… I killed someone… I killed someone…

I guess I am a monster after all.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

 _Welcome lucky tribute,_

 _You've discovered one of the three gems placed around the arena. This jewel could save your life - with this, you can survive the Hunger Games without having to win._

 _It is possible that four tributes survive this year; one victor and three survivors._

 _However, you must make it to the final five to be able to escape. If you're in possession of the jewel by then, go to the Cornucopia. There, you will be rescued via hovercraft and will be taken home. You won't receive glory or wealth or even a place in the Victor's Village, but you will live. You'll go back to your old life as though you never were in the Hunger Games._

 _If you're with an ally, be very careful who you select to take the jewel. It can not be transferred between tributes. The first person to touch it is the only one who can use it to escape… with one exception. If you kill the current possessor of the jewel, then you will be the new owner._

 _May the odds be ever in your favor!_

I finish reading the plaque, and by now, I have a giant smile on my face. All pain is forgotten. Because as I grab the glowing sapphire with my good hand, I know one thing.

My chances of seeing Ada again just grew greatly.

* * *

 **I chose not to write about Lennox actually going through the temple to find the jewel because I had already described the process about three times (the girls, the boys, and Cecelia and Glorian) so I didn't think it was necessary to talk about the traps.**

 **I just want to clarify this - Dennis did NOT eat Arabella. He joked about it a few times, and he probably wouldn't have had anything against it, but he liked the idea for the emotional torment it would have on others. He'd like scaring Arabella by assuring her that he'd consume her body after she died. He had no actual urge to eat human flesh and wasn't starving. He also knew he'd face consequences if he participated in cannibalism since that's one of the only things frowned upon by the Capitol. The hovercraft picked up her burnt body. Obviously, this doesn't make him any less evil, but I just wanted to clarify that in case some of you suspected it and it grossed you out.**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Rachel Ivy (D12F)  
Sapphire - Lennox Porter (D3F)**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glorian/Noelani  
Tristana/Yael?/Rachel  
Axel/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Vincent  
Yael?**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glitter Monique (D2F) - 1  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Noelani King (D4F) - 0  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 0  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 0  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1  
Yael Harident (D11F) - 1  
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	53. Cractos Line I

**District 9**

 **Cractos Line**

* * *

"Joey, would you slow down?" I shout as my son flies past. He doesn't respond, too far to hear me. After a second, Autumn runs past me, nearly knocking me over.

"Joey, I'm going to get you!" she laughs. She glances over her shoulder and says, "sorry, Dad," before following Joey out of the room. I grin despite myself and shake my head. My children are much too hyper.

I'm about to settle into a chair and check the Hunger Games recaps when the doorbell rings. Sighing, I set down the remote. I wanted to see if Hadley was still alive - our entire District is rooting for him, of course, since he's our only tribute remaining. But I suppose it will have to wait.

I walk over to the door and open it, revealing Cody Miller, Victor of the 246th Hunger Games. He looks very ill and scared, but that's not unusual. Ever since his victory, he's been a bit of a nervous wreck. But he looks especially afraid today.

"Cody? What's wrong?" I ask. He looks both ways before letting himself in.

"I need to tell you something," he whispers.

"Shouldn't you be in the Capitol? Helping Hadley?"

"Marielle said she'd look out for me. Savanna's gone, so she has plenty of time on her hands. But… this woman told me something scary that I think you should know. It's important."

"Okay…" I begin, ushering him over to our dining room. Joey races past. A second later, Autumn and Cassie follow. Cody waits until they are gone before her begins explaining.

"We're in danger. The President thinks we're rebels. And… and… he's planning on torturing and murdering us."

* * *

 **In case you don't remember the brief mention of Cractos from Flames, he's Ceres's husband and Victor of the 216th Hunger Games. This is kind of a short chapter because I wanted to start Day 8 soon.**

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M): Stabbed by Yael Harident (D11F) - I know for a fact that no one's upset about this death. Even Dennis's submitter wanted him gone, so this wasn't a very difficult choice. He was purely a villain, with practically no redeemable qualities. While I know I could have given him some more layers, I thought it was fun to have a purely evil character. Besides, I might save some redemption for another villain ;). Even though I hated him, I had a lot of fun with him and he was really interesting. As with Kade, I'm not going to bother with a RIP. Dennis can burn in hell.**

 **\- Lilah**


	54. Day 8: Part 1: Listen to Your Head

**Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate). I suspect that by the time I'm posting this, it's no longer the 25th for a lot of you, but I doubt anyone's going to read this on Christmas anyway. This is a pretty action-packed chapter with a LOT of cliffhangers, so… you have been warned. Make sure to vote on the Day 8 poll after reading, as well!**

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

I woke up very early this morning, and since I was unable to go back to sleep, I decided to go hunting. I'm not sure who was supposed to be on guard duty by the time I woke up, because we were all asleep. Cecelia had the first watch, and I suspect she just didn't bother waking anyone else up when her shift was over. We've started to become more lax about guarding because, at this point, it's unlikely any tributes will try attacking us while we sleep. And we've established enough trust with each other, that we don't have to worry about betrayal, either.

It may be a bad idea to quit guard-duty, but there's only four of us to keep guard now. When there were more people to take shifts, no one had to stay up for very long. But now, any shift takes a big chunk of sleep away.

I'm hoping I can get _something_ for breakfast. Even berries or plants would be nice. It would probably be better, actually, because I don't want to have to build a fire to cook whatever meat I skewer.

I'm scouring the ground, but it's difficult to spot any food in the darkness. Even when I do come across berry patches, it's impossible to tell whether they're edible or not. If I want to know for sure, I'll need to wait until the sun is out. I'm not sure if I'll know even if I _can_ see the berries since I'm not very familiar with plant identification, but perhaps one of the other Careers will.

I take a seat on a log sitting conveniently close to the bush and begin picking off berries. I made the mistake of not bringing any bag with me, but luckily, my pockets are big enough to hold several handfuls of berries. And this bush isn't too far from camp, so if they _are_ edible, we can always return and get more.

I'm starting to feel like I'm the only one taking survival seriously in the alliance. Even before we were dwindled down to four, I felt like the only serious one. I'm the only one thinking about food and taking initiative when it comes to gathering it. Everyone else either wants to sit around doing nothing or hunt for other tributes. Why am I the only one who remembers that this is called the _Hunger_ Games? We don't have the luxury of plentiful food like the Careers in past Games, so we have to give up some of our privileges as Careers - including laziness.

Why don't my allies understand that if everyone contributes and focuses on survival, we could be one of the most unstoppable alliances in these Games? If we were to gather food at a quicker pace, we could then have more time and energy to hunt tributes and take them out until we were the only four remaining. We could breeze by these Games. But instead, they choose to be lazy and leave me the only one searching for food.

It's not like I'm bitter about it. Well, I try not to be. But I can help but feel a bit irritated whenever one of them complains about the lack of food or the fact that we're not out hunting tributes. However, I still have to try my best to bring in food and be productive, even if I'm the only one doing so. I'm the leader of the Careers, so it's my duty to try and provide them with food and water.

When I've filled my pockets with as many berries as possible, the sky is still dark. Instead of heading back so soon, I decide to sit back and relish the solitude. I don't think I've been alone for longer than ten minutes at any point in these Games… so for the past week or so, I haven't gotten to be by myself and collect my thoughts.

The jungle isn't as eerie as I thought it would be. I expected a dense jungle designed specifically to kill us would be pretty spooky, especially when it's dark out, but I don't find that to be the case at all. Maybe I'm just so desperate for solitude I somehow find it acceptable, but it's actually somewhat peaceful and relaxing. The only thing jarring is the crickets and clicking of bugs, which never shut up and drive me insane, but I've begun to learn how to tune them out. While the chirping of insects makes my skin crawl, the consistency of it dilutes the fear a bit.

I'm still shocked we're so close to the Final 10. I'm not sure why, since the Hunger Games _certainly_ haven't gone by fast and I've encountered my share of pain along the way, but I still feel surprised there's so few tributes left. The thought makes me excited, but also a bit uneasy. I know that when the numbers begin to get low, people's loyalties are tested. _Especially_ in the Career pack. Usually, they break up around this point.

I feel pretty confident in our alliance, but I still have a bit of doubt. I feel pretty solid with Noelani and Cecelia, but it's no secret Trajan hasn't been much of a teammate. He's the person I probably trust the least - but, I do think I can trust him. At least enough that I think our alliance will make it to the Final 8 - at _least_.

The biggest issue is the conflict between Cecelia and Trajan. They're very open about hating each other, and they've come close to physically fighting on multiple occasions. It hasn't come to that yet, but mostly because the rest of us have been able to restrain them and the knowledge that they'd be out of the pack if they killed the other is enough to keep them in line. But as the consequences lessen and the hatred grows, I'm beginning to think that this is an issue in our alliance if we want to go all the way to the finale.

What if I were to return to Cecelia and Trajan fighting? Not only bickering, as they have for over a week now, but full-on trying to kill each other? I chuckle to myself at the thought - how over-the-top would that be?

As if on queue, a shrill scream breaks the peace. I can't tell for sure who it belongs to, but it's female and coming in the direction of the Cornucopia. I leap to my feet, drawing my sword. Even though the sky is barely orange, I suppose it's time for me to head back.

It's fortunate that I didn't settle too far from the clearing, because the moment I burst through the trees, Cecelia and Trajan are about to rip each other to shreds. I don't even have time to appreciate the irony as I rush forward to stop them.

Metal clangs on metal as Cecelia and Trajan clash their weapons, pure rage filling their eyes. Noelani can only watch in terror as they swing at each other. There's no way this is just a friendly spar - they're trying to kill each other.

Cecelia swings her sword at Trajan's neck at an incredible speed, but he responds with the same agility and blocks her attack with his spear. Wasting no time after the contact, he points to spear toward her and lunges forward. Cecelia dive-rolls out of the way just in time, sending a slice toward Trajan's shins before standing back up. Trajan steps back, and aims to strike again -

"Noelani, help me!" I demand, yanking Trajan's spear away just before it enters Cecelia's heart. Trajan shoves into me in an attempt to get it back, but I loop an arm around his waist, locking him in place while I hold the spear just out of his reach. Trajan struggles to break free, likely to attack Cecelia again, but the exhaustion of the fight coupled with his various injuries renders him too weak to escape my grasp.

To my terror, Cecelia lunges at Trajan again with her sword outstretched before Noelani can hold her back, but Noelani manages to grab onto her wrist just in time. I would have expected her to break free, which I'm sure she could have, but the moment Noelani touches her, her rages melts and she lowers the sword. She still sends a murderous glare Trajan's way, but backs up, effectively ending the fight. Trajan limpens in my grip, so I decide it's safe to let him go and release him.

Trajan snatches his spear back, his face red in embarrassment of getting pinned by me, but I could care less about his pride.

"What the hell happened?" I demand, picking my own sword back up. I storm into the Cornucopia, where the other three have gathered. Cecelia and Noelani sit on one side, glaring at Trajan, who leans against the wall on the other.

"Trajan started it," Cecelia spits.

"Do you realize how childish you sound?" Trajan retorts. "Besides, I merely made a suggestion to improve our alliance. You're the one who flipped out and attacked me." I look to Noelani, hoping for a straight response, and to my relief, she gives me one.

"Trajan mentioned that we kick me out of the alliance since he claimed I wasn't helping out much. Cecelia got mad and began to fight him," Noelani explains.

I look from one person to the other, trying to decide what to do next. Why do my allies have to act like children? Why can't they understand that with cooperation and hard work, we can thrive in this arena? If it weren't for their short tempers and petty arguments, we'd be doing so well. And how am I supposed to resolve this conflict? I can't kick either one of them out, especially since it sounds like they're both in the wrong. The best I can do is hope they grow up.

"Let's just eat breakfast," I sigh. "I collected some berries earlier."

I reach into my pockets and bring out handfuls of the berries. I can now see that they're quite large, colored red and reddish-green. I don't recognize them as any of the poisonous berries we were told to look out for, but I could just be forgetting them. Before I can warn everyone that I'm not sure if they're edible, they swarm me and begin grabbing handfuls. Trajan immediately shoves a handful into his mouth.

"Man, I'm starving," he remarks.

"These are poisonous," Cecelia announces, holding one up. Trajan's face turns pale and he immediately begins spitting them out.

"I swallowed some! How poisonous are they? Is it okay if it was only a few?" he begins stuttering in a panicked voice, but pauses when he sees Cecelia and Noelani giggling. He narrows his eyes suspiciously. "Are they actually poisonous?" he asks.

"Nope," Cecelia says, popping one into her mouth.

"They're just blackberries," Noelani informs him.

"But… but they're _red_ ," Trajan says, looking baffled. The pair of girls laugh some more and walk off, thanking me for the berries as they do so. Trajan's face turns an even darker red as he looks at the berries he spit out on the ground. He then looks up and glares at _me_ , as if it's _my_ fault. "Why don't you do something about them?" he asks angrily in a hushed voice.

"Because there's nothing I _can_ do." Rolling my eyes at the group's childish behavior, I take my remaining berries and decide to eat them outside of the Cornucopia, where I can be by myself. It won't be as good as the jungle, but at least I don't have to listen to their bickering. And besides, this way I can be there to stop another fight from ensuing. I hope it won't, though - because otherwise, this alliance is doomed.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

One of the most unfortunate things about this ledge - it's super tiny, so it's practically impossible to get any sleep without falling to your doom. It's also slightly slanted, so rolling off isn't out of the question. It's not dangerously slanted, but if we leave a water bottle on its side or something, it will roll straight off. We learned that the hard way, which is why we're down to only one bottle.

Axel and I are stuck in a tough space - climbing up the side seems nearly impossible, and death is likely. One wrong placement, and our picture will be in the sky tonight. We're also extremely low on supplies, since we barely had any to begin with. The only upside is that no tributes can get to _us_ , either. This is like a temporary safe spot… until we start dying of dehydration, that is. Or acid rain falls again. We may be safe from other tributes, but we're still extremely exposed to the elements.

Axel's taking his sleeping shift right now, even though it's pretty bright outside. We decided we should sleep during the day, since someone needs to be awake at all times to make sure the other doesn't fall off. Because of this, we only get to sleep for half of the night each. We don't have much else to do during the day, either, so it just makes sense.

I quickly figured out what a good idea it was when it was Axel's turn to sleep, because, boy, this kid rolls around in his sleep _a lot_. If it weren't for me holding him place, he would have plummeted off the edge immediately. He thrashes around a lot, so I'm guessing he has nightmares. Occasionally he'll mumble something in his sleep, but it's difficult to make out. I have heard my name, "help", "Mom", and even "Tristana" once. He's not a peaceful sleeper. No wonder he's so open to guarding at night.

Axel rolls over again, but my arm is locked in front of him and blocks him. I gently push him back toward the wall, but hesitate when I notice something. There's a small hole in the wall behind Axel, big enough for a mutt or small animal to crawl out of. It makes me uneasy, so I look for a rock or something to block it. I can't find any rocks, so I position the satchel in front of it, instead. It doesn't block it completely, but reassures my mind.

I let my mind wander for a while, until Axel finally wakes up. He yawns loudly and stretches his back.

"Good morning," I greet him.

"'Morning," he says through another yawn. "Do we have any water left? I'm parched."

"I think so. Check."

I'm still staring in the opposite direction as I hear Axel ruffle through the bag. Suddenly, he disrupts my calm by shrieking, "Snake!"

I jump up on impulse, dangerously close to the edge. Axel tries to back away from the red serpent that slithers out of the hole I was so wary of, but there's not much space for him to go. The snake moves right into the center of the ledge, leaving Axel and I teetering on the edge. I stupidly left my weapons in the bag, since I decided I wouldn't need them on the ledge. So we're both useless right now.

The snake hunches back as it narrows in on Axel. The poor boy gurgles nervously, backing closer to the edge. Not looking where he's going, one of Axel's feet drops into open air. Axel yelps and begins to teeter backward, but I quickly grab his arm and yank him back onto the surface.

Axel breathes a sigh of relief, but it's short lived because the snake chooses this time to strike. It launches itself at Axel, and impulsively, my hand jolts out to grab in in midair. I somehow manage to snatch his neck, stopping it from plunging its fangs into Axel. I'm so surprised by my quick reflexes that I forget I'm holding a live snake in my hand.

Instead of biting Axel, it turns its head and sinks its fangs into my forearm.

"Agh!" I scream, dropping the snake. It dangles from my arm for a second, but I launch it out into the canyon. The snake is gone, but it's a little too late. I can already feel the venom coursing through my veins. The venom burns. I feel my limbs weaken and I collapse onto the small ledge.

"Hadley?" Axel asks in a scared voice, kneeling down beside me. He grabs my shoulders, shaking me. "You're alright, right? You're not going to die?" I try to open my mouth, but my vision goes spotty. Axel's face blurs until I can no longer see his big brown eyes and everything goes dark. "Axel?"

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

I awake around noon, which isn't good for me. I forget that now that I'm on my own, I have to be carefully and sleep very lightly. But I can't always control how late I sleep. I know that Day 8 isn't going to be very pleasant when I open my eyes and see someone leaning over me.

A haggard-looking man wearing war paint has his face only inches away from mine, studying me curiously. It takes a few seconds for his face to come into focus, but when it does, I yelp and automatically sit up.

Our heads collide with an aching pain. The man leaps back, holding his head, saying a bunch of words I don't understand. Based on the tone, though, I'm guessing they're curse words. I look around me, and notice with horror, that a circle of war-paint-wearing people have gathered around me. Most are armed with crude weapons. They don't look too pleased with me.

One of them points at me and shouts something in a foreign dialect. It must be a command, because everyone else immediately begins to close in on me.

"Whoa!" I shout, jumping to my feet. I unsheath my sword, panicked. I know I can take all of these individuals, but the sheer number is probably too much for me to handle. They caught me by surprise, so now I need to do the same to them.

I charge at a specifically scrawny member, slicing down with my sword. My plan is to cut him down, then break through the circle and run away from the rest. Step One is easy; my sword slices through the guy with ease and he crumples to the ground. I'm beginning to run away when I feel a sharp pain in my leg and I trip. I crash to the ground painfully.

I turn around and see an arrow sticking out of my calf. It's not too bad, but the fall gave the group enough time to get right next to me. I try to run away again, but this time they're prepared. One of them is holding a giant stone, which he smashes into my head.

I don't even have time to think before blacking out.

* * *

 **District 12**

 **Rachel Ivy**

* * *

Yael just stares blankly at the trees, not noticing when I move past her to grab the box of matches. She doesn't notice when I walk directly in front of her, to the firepit, and begin trying to light a fire. Tristana went out to check the snares for dinner, and it's my role to get a fire started so we can cook whatever she brings back. We didn't bother giving Yael a role.

Yesterday, we woke up and Yael was gone. We had no idea where she went. I would have suspected her to have ditched us, but all of our supplies were still here and Tristana reasoned that if she had the opportunity to ditch us, she would have taken some supplies. Even if she felt guilty, she likely would have taken at least her share. No sane person is going to sneak off into the jungle with nothing but a whip.

We were slightly concerned, even more so when a cannon went off in the afternoon. But shortly after that cannon fired, Yael stumbled back into camp with a broken ankle and a dead look in her eyes. She sat in front of the fire and stared at the flames all night long, not moving at all. I would have thought she was dead if not for the fact she was sitting upright. I have no idea what happened, and the cluelessness is bothering me. I want to know why my ally's acting so strange. Why she's acting all dead and useless…

I glance at Yael again. Tristana's gone, likely for another half hour or so. We have a lot of snares to check, so it's unlikely she finished checking them quickly. No one would know if I just slit Yael's throat right now. I suspect even _Yael_ won't know.

I always promised myself that the moment my allies outlived their usefulness, I'd kill them. Yael seems to fit that description right now - all she does is sit still and stare blankly into nothing. She might as well already be dead. Whatever happened to her, she seems traumatized. Maybe it would be kinder if I just put her out of her misery.

I know I'm kidding with myself. No one will look at me killing Yael as an act of kindness. They will see it as callous and a betrayal. Even when it's everyone for themselves, people still frown upon breaking people's trust. Just look at what happened to Cardea Legis - she didn't even directly kill her ally, and she's still scorned upon throughout Panem. What would people think of me if I slit my ally's throat?

I promised myself that I'd do whatever it took to return home when I was Reaped. I'm not usually such a cruel person - I have a heart. My family can back me up on that. They know I'm a kind girl. But I'm not selfless. And there comes a point when a line is drawn - I need to look out for myself and only myself in the arena because otherwise, I won't survive. I can't worry about morality and loyalty when my life is on the line.

I have reasons to make it back home, and not a single one of those reasons requires Yael Harident to be alive. Even if I'd be breaking the alliance's trust and my promises, it will still help me get home. And home is the only thing that matters to me right now. I am the only person I should be loyal to. I promised myself I'd make it home. And the promise to myself is more important than the promise I made to my alliance.

I strike the match against the side of the box, and the flame catches. It quickly devours the matchstick, so I drop it into the pile of dry sticks I've collected. Fortunately, the flame takes and with moments, the fire is roaring.

Fire is selfish. Fire works only for itself - it has one goal, to grow larger and expand. And it doesn't care who or what it destroys along the way. I need to be the same. I can return to being a good person when I get home, but right now, I can be the monster I need to be. In the Hunger Games, rules change. Morals don't matter. One thing matters - survival. And in order to survive, I need to ignore my heart and listen to my head.

I look up at Yael's face. She hasn't noticed that I started the fire. Her brown eyes are glazed over, and it takes a while before she blinks. Blinking is the only type of movement she has done. My heart doesn't want to kill Yael. But my head assures me that it's necessary to do if I want to get home. And I _do_ want to get home. I just hope Panem won't hate me forever. Maybe they'll understand.

I stand up and walk behind Yael. Her eyes don't follow me. She doesn't know what's about to happen. I draw my dagger from my belt and calmly press the edge of the blade against Yael's neck. My hand's aren't shaking, but there's a battle of emotions inside me. I know this isn't a good thing to do… but I have no choice.

I quickly slide the blade along Yael's throat and feel a gush of warm blood cover my hands. I grimace as it pours out onto my dagger and skin. Yael splutters a bit, choking on her own blood, but quickly slumps down next to the fire.

 _BOOM!_

The cannon is expected. Yael's gone. But I should probably wash my hand before Tristana returns or else she'll know…

Our eyes meet. Tristana is standing on the other end of the fire, gaping at me in shock. There's a dead rabbit in either hand, so I suppose the traps were successful. She's returned sooner than I thought. I stutter for a few seconds, trying to think of an excuse, but I know it's futile. Tristana can see the blood on my hand and dagger, and she likely saw me slice Yael's throat open.

With no possible way Tristana could forgive me, I realize that Yael isn't the only one who's outlived her use. Before she can come to her senses, I leap at Tristana with my dagger poised high.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

Rachel leaps at me with her bloody dagger aimed for my heart. It takes me a second to realize what's happening. Rachel killed Yael, and now she's trying to kill me now. I knew I shouldn't have trusted her!

My momentary pause while I was trying to wrap my head around everything that's happened almost gets me killed. Rachel's dagger is almost in my heart when I finally think to move out of the way.

Rachel still crashes into me, but her dagger misses me, sweeping down in an arc to my left. I grab Rachel's dominant wrist immediately so that she can't stab me. Without hesitation, she uses her left fist to punch at my face. The lack of coordination weakens the hit considerably, but I still feel enough pain in my cheek to let go of Rachel's wrist.

I pull my hand up to my stinging cheek automatically and don't notice Rachel's foot until she sends it into my stomach. The kick knocks the breath out of me and sending me flying into a tree, which makes it even worse. My back hits the tree sharply, and I crumple to the ground in pain.

"Why?" I manage to gasp when I've regained my breath. I open my eyes and see Rachel's black shoes in front of me. She lifts one of them and pushes it into my body, keeping me pinned to the ground.

"It's nothing personal. I just want to survive," she says in a calm tone.

"Don't you have a heart?" I ask. There are tears at the edges of my eyes. I want to believe that it's just from the pain I've encountered in the last minute, but I know that a part of me is very upset over being betrayed by Rachel… even if I had a hunch it would happen.

"Not in the Hunger Games. It's a shame we had to meet under such circumstances, because I did like you, Tristana. But there can only be one Victor, and I intend for that to be me."

"What about the jewel?" I ask her. "We can both survive!"

"They don't _win_ , they _survive_. And while I want to survive, I need money. My family is broken and the only way I can fix it is if I _win_. I didn't think it through when I grabbed the jewel. But I need to be a Victor."

I still think her logic is poor, but I keep my mouth shut. I'm not sure I want to win with her, anyway. I look up at Rachel, who stands above me with a solemn but determined look on her face. It's difficult to see her with the sun shining brightly behind her, but I can see her arm raised, preparing to strike the dagger into my heart.

I start to brace myself, but then I realize I'm being stupid. I'm a fighter. I'm not the type of person to lay down and accept death. Even if the odds are stacked against me right now, I know that I'm not dying without fighting back.

I sweep my arm around, knocking Rachel's leg off my body. She tilts for a moment, but I don't give her the chance to regain her balance. I grab onto her leg and yank it, knocking her to the ground.

Rachel's the one with the wind knocked out of her this time. And the wind isn't the only thing knocked out of her… her dagger falls from her hand and goes sliding several feet away from us. Immediately, I see my opportunity. I run toward the dagger and I'm about to snatch it up when my legs get caught on something. I faceplant on the ground, the dagger still several inches from my fingers.

I flip onto my back to see what tripped me, and to my surprise, Rachel is holding onto my legs. She must have grabbed them to stop me from getting to the dagger. I send a kick toward her face, and while she tries to hold my foot back, she can't stop the sole of my boot crunching into her nose.

Rachel lets out a cry and released my legs. I begin crawling toward the dagger again, and this time, I manage to grab ahold of it. More confident now that I'm the one with a weapon, I turn around, ready to use it on Rachel and -

 _BANG!_

I immediately drop the weapon the moment I feel an indescribable sudden pain in my forearm. I look at it in shock and see a penny-sized hole in my arm that's bleeding heavily. I look back at Rachel in shock, and she's holding her gun with a determined look on her face. I completely forgot she had a gun. She aims the gun back at me, and now I move.

I run away from her, trying to stay out of the line of the gun. I duck behind a nearby tree, glad at the size of the tree. It covers me up - at least until Rachel gets closer. My arm is aching badly, but I try to ignore the pain. I dropped the dagger, so I need something to defend myself. Luckily, the jungle floor is littered with rocks of all sizes. I don't have time to be picky, so I pick up the first rock I see - a round one that I can hold with two hands.

I peek around the tree and see Rachel standing on the other side. Her gun is aimed at me and she shoots it again. I barely manage to dodge it. She must have been waiting for me to look for her. I jump around the tree again, this time my rock ready. She tries to fire, but I slam the rock down on the gun and the bullet is sent somewhere in the ground. The gun falls to the ground.

I want to slam my rock into Rachel's head next, but the momentum from hitting the gun doesn't give me the chance to bring it back up before Rachel slams into me. We both fly into the ground, but I absorb most of the impact for Rachel. She no longer has a gun or dagger, so resorts to her last weapon - her hands.

Rachel's fingers wrap around my throat and begin squeezing tightly. However, my hands are still free so I reach them up to my throat and begin attempting to pry Rachel's hands away.

But Rachel is squeezing hard. Her fingers are locked around my esophagus in a steel grip, and no matter how much I claw at her hands, she refuses to let go. Her eyes are wide with concentration and she's biting her lip. I begin to see black dots in my vision, which can't be good. My hands drop lose and I start to grope the ground next to me for _anything_ I can use. My hand closes on another rock just as my vision goes dark.

Will I have the chance to strike Rachel with the rock before I run out of oxygen?

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

 _BOOM!_

Another cannon fires within minutes of the last one. Panicked, my fingers fly to check Hadley's pulse. To my relief, he's still alive. The second cannon wasn't for him either.

I sigh in relief, but it's short-lived. We aren't in a good position. Hadley and I are stuck on this narrow ledge above a canyon, and I have no clue how to get back up; especially now that Hadley's injured.

After getting bitten by the snake, Hadley passed out. The snake is definitely venomous, but I don't know how fast-acting the poison is. He could die any second. I only hope he manages to hold out long enough for a sponsor gift… because at this point, it's our only hope. I doubt I could find an antidote in the jungle, even if I knew what it could be.

But sitting on this ledge definitely doesn't help. The snake that bit Hadley was kicked off the edge, but the hole where it emerged from haunts me. I don't know if any other snakes are in there, and I don't want to stay here long enough to find out. If there are others, it's only a matter of time before they come out and bite _me_. I need to get out of here.

I look up the side of the canyon. Safety isn't too far above me… only about six feet or so. And there are some good hand-holds… I'm a decent climber, so it's climbing it wouldn't be out of the question. It seems achievable. But the real issue is how to get Hadley up here, because there's no way I'm leaving him down on the ledge.

Could I tie him to a rope and pull him up after I make it up there? I don't know if I'll be strong enough, but the main issue is the lack of rope. The top of the canyon is about ten feet above the ledge, so the lasso won't stretch. And I can't reach the rope from the bridge to cut it, or anything… not from here, at least.

But if I climb up first, cut the rope into something long enough that I could pull up Hadley, then climb back down to attach it to him, it could work. I don't fancy the idea of making the climb multiple times, but I don't have much of a choice. Taking a deep breath, I begin to pull myself up the rocky face of the canyon.

* * *

 **I won't reveal whether Tristana or Rachel was the second cannon yet… I was going to, but decided that it would be more fun to end on a cliffhanger. Well, fun for me. We also have another** _ **literal**_ **cliffhanger in Axel and Hadley's case.**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. Do you think Rachel or Tristana survived?  
**

 **2\. Who would you rather survive: Rachel or Tristana?**

 **3\. Do you think Rachel's a bad person or not?**

 **4\. When do you think the Careers will collapse?**

 **5\. What will happen to Vincent?**

 **6\. Who will be the next to die?**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - ?  
Sapphire - Lennox Porter (D3F)**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)  
10th: Tristana Rocket (D6F) OR Rachel Ivy (D12F)**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glorian/Noelani  
Axel/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Tristana or Rachel  
Vincent**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Noelani King (D4F) - 0  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 1 (possibly)  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 0  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1  
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 2 (possibly)**

 **\- Lilah**


	55. Magnus Lynx I

**The Capitol**

 **Magnus Lynx**

* * *

District 12 is terrible.

After growing up in the Capitol, I'm accustomed to luxury. The most poverty I've seen came from my days as a Peacekeeper in District 4, and even District 4 is considered one of the wealthier Districts. And it's not like I ever had to deal with the poverty _myself_.

But now I'm forced to be a citizen of District 12. After fleeing the attack on the President's Mansion roughly a year ago, I went to District 12, which is the only place with security lax enough for me to hide. I heard that Divine is still looking for me - although, he doesn't seem too invested in the search anymore.

I have to be a stupid miner, now. I slam my pickaxe into the rock, miles beneath the District. It's terrifying. I hate feeling like this. I'm just a common District 12 miner, with absolutely no authority and barely enough money to survive.

Honestly, I'd rebel against the Capitol if I got the chance. I hated rebels when I was on the Capitol guard, but anything's better than this. Especially now that I've been publicly whipped by a Peacekeeper after stealing a loaf of bread. Was I really that bad?

I have less respect for Peacekeepers now. I knew facts about what the Districts went through, but I kind of thought they were just exaggerating their pain.

As much as I hate Alexandros, I have to admit he was right - knowledge is nothing compared to experience. After experiencing the pain of a District 12 citizen, I've began to hate the Capitol.

And I will do what I can to bring them down.

* * *

 **This was a super quick chapter for two reasons: first of all, nothing very important happens, it's just a check-in with a character from Flames. Second of all, I already wrote the Day 9 chapter since I had no inspiration for this one, and I wanted to get it posted soon.**

 **I initially was going to have a more action-packed, longer chapter but then I decided to switch it out with the chapter for part two of Day 9, so you won't be seeing that more exciting chapter yet.**

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F): Throat spit by Rachel Ivy (D12F) - Yael was one of the most interesting tributes I received, and I had a lot of fun playing around with her sanity (or lack thereof). I'm seriously kicking myself right now because while writing her POV when she killed Dennis, I incorrectly thought she hadn't murdered anyone yet, completely forgetting about Sprucen. I'm not going to fix it because I'm lazy and it's a pretty important detail of the POV, so… let's just ignore that little error. Anyway, I really loved Yael but it was her time to go. She lived out her plotline and it's obvious she was never a contender for the Victor. I was glad she was somewhat popular despite her villainous status, and I was glad people had sympathy for her. It's difficult to decide whether someone so conflicted was good or bad. She wanted to do the right thing, as she said many times, but just couldn't. I think one of the most tragic things was that she knew it would be better if she died, but couldn't control it. I think one of the reasons she was so well-liked (for a villain) was because the only people she killed were absolutely hated, but she probably would have killed more innocent tributes had she gotten the chance. For a while, I made it seem like she had overcome the voices, but unfortunately, I thought that would have been an unrealistic ending. As much as I loved her, it just made the most sense for the voices to get the best of her. I thought Yael was very unique and I had a blast writing her. Some of her POVs were my favorite, but I can't say it was very easy to write for her at first. I can vividly remember the pain of writing (and rewriting (and rewriting (and rewriting))) her Reaping chapter. She was one of my favorites, which may be evident by the fact that her eulogy is longer than the chapter itself XD. RIP Yael.**

 **\- Lilah**


	56. Day 9: Part 1: Death and Dreams

**First of all, I know I haven't posted in a while. I meant to get a lot of writing done over my winter break, but I went on vacation after Christmas and just didn't have a lot of inspiration to write (even though I had a decent amount of time since we were at a ski resort but there wasn't any snow). This is my last day of winter break, so I wrote all of this chapter today in order for me to get** _ **something**_ **out. I left on too many cliffhangers last time to leave them unresolved for a while.**

 **It's pretty short, because there's not a lot of action. It's more of a continuation from last chapter, where I wrap up some loose ends and set the scene for the next chapter (which** _ **will**_ **be action-packed).**

 **Also - Day 9 poll on my profile! Make sure you vote!**

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

I blink my eyes open around the crack of dawn, and I quickly notice that I'm the only one awake. The rest of the Careers are dead asleep. Still weary with sleep, I strain my brain to try and remember the deaths last night. The girl from District 11 and… someone else. It was one of her allies, but I don't remember who, specifically. But either way, this means Noelani and I have made it to the Final 9.

And Noelani _still_ doesn't have a gem. I'm growing increasingly concerned that the gem has already been taken by some other tribute. The temple isn't too hard to find, especially after wandering around a jungle for more than a week. It's not difficult to believe that some outer-District tribute came along and snatched up the gem for themselves. Either way, the longer we stay here, the more likely it will be to have gone. We need to leave soon.

I carefully slide my arm out from under where Noelani's head rests and lightly shake her awake. Yawning, she stirs then opens her eyes.

"Yeah?" she blinks at me wearily. I motion for her to be quiet, then bring her outside of the Cornucopia. It's difficult to see, since there's barely any light to guide us, so we walk carefully toward the edge of the jungle. We stop at the very edge.

"We need to leave soon," I whisper, nervous that Glorian or Trajan may wake up at any moment and catch us.

"Today?"

"Yes. The longer we wait, the less likely we are to find a gem. We've wasted too much time in the Career pack, we need to leave the moment we get an opportunity," I explain.

"Like now?" Noelani looks surprised. "You're springing this on me."

"Well, Glorian and Trajan will be up any minute. We just need to get some supplies from the Cornucopia and -"

"Cecelia? Noelani!" Glorian shouts from inside the Cornucopia.

"Yeah?" I call back, trying not to sound annoying that we missed our opportunity to leave. Glorian appears from the mouth of the Cornucopia, wielding Noelani and his swords. His hair is sticking up on one end, so it's clear he just woke up. He spots us and jogs over.

"Here," he says, thrusting the sword in Noelani's direction, "we're going hunting again." Noelani groans and Glorian looks miffed. "Sorry, but don't you want to eat?"

"Why can't you take Trajan?" she asks.

"Because he's annoying."

"So you're leaving me with him?" I ask.

"Come on," Glorian gestures to Noelani, heading straight into the jungle. She begins complaining about how she just woke up and hasn't eaten yet, but Glorian ignores her and Noelani follows along anyway.

"Bye!" she says to me, blowing me a kiss. I sigh and trudge back to the Cornucopia.

I haven't even entered the Cornucopia by the time Trajan walks past me, toting his spear and a determined look on his face.

"Where are you going?" I ask.

"Hunting," he replies simply, wiping a bit of mud off the point of his spear. He tries to walk past me, but my arm shoots out to stop him.

"Whoa, Glorian wanted us to stay here to guard the supplies!" I remind him.

"So?" Trajan shrugs. When I give him a shocked look, he sighs and crosses his arms. "Look, Cel, don't pretend you care what Glorian says."

"Don't call me Cel," I mutter, but my protests go unheeded.

"Cel, it's obvious you're planning on leaving the Careers any day now. In fact, I bet you and Noelani were planning on leaving this morning, had Glorian and I not woken up when we did." My mouth opens and closes, trying to think of a defense, but nothing comes to mind. Trajan smirks, his point proven. "All I'm doing is going to eliminate some competition. Now, Glorian doesn't need to know. And even if he finds out, I doubt he'll care very much. You can watch the supplies by yourself - you obviously won't leave without Noelani."

With that, Trajan walks into the jungles with an eager look in his eyes. Groaning, I take a seat inside the Cornucopia. Why does Trajan have to be right? It's the most annoying thing.

He does some pretty irritating stuff, but what bugs me the most is when it's actually _him_ who's in the right. Because he's correct - I can't complain about him disobeying Glorian by going hunting, when I'm disobeying Glorian by plotting to ditch him.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

Cecelia's being so hypocritical. It's unfair of her to get angry at _me_ for going hunting when it's clear she and her little ally are going to run off any day now. This morning, when I woke up, I thought that they had. I didn't see them inside of the Cornucopia and I recall thinking, _well, I called it_.

But then Glorian called them back inside, and it turned out that they hadn't ditched us. Yet. Because I'm sure that had we slept in for another ten minutes or so, they'd be gone.

But no, instead, I'm stuck with them still.

As I walk through the jungle, I begin to feel a sprinkle of rain on my head and my clothes begin to dampen. I sigh - _more_ rain? I get this is a rainforest, but I wish the Gamemakers would give us a break. I mean, it can't possibly be exciting for the Capitol to watch a bunch of kids braving _precipitation_.

Feeling my throat to become slightly parched, I stop at a large leaf to suck a bit of rainwater off of it. At least we don't have to worry about dehydration so much. Especially since us Careers ran out of Cornucopia-supplied water several days ago. We still get to drink rainwater, which is nice. Unfortunately, it isn't the most reliable drinking source.

When I've sucked the leaf dry, I continue my trek through the forest. I'm still a bit thirsty, but it can wait.

I pause when I hear the unmistakable sound of running water. It's audible even over the patter of rain, so it must be nearby. Excited, I speed up my walk in the direction of the river or whatever it is.

I shortly emerge from the jungle into a creek. It's not a river, as I'd hoped, but a creek provides a solid water source as well. Immediately, I crouch down on my knees and begin sipping the water straight from the creek. I'm aware that it would be better for me to use water purification tablets or at least boil it first, but I can't resist. Besides, it's running pretty quickly.

I'm considering attempting to catch a fish when I hear a splashing farther downstream. I pause, my hands still in the cool water, and I look toward the splashing sound. The creek bends farther downstream, so I can't see where the noise came from, but it continues, suggesting it's another tribute or animal.

Grinning, I pick up my spear. _Time for another kill_.

I stick to the treeline, trying to sneak up on the victim. I walk with light footsteps, not wanting to alert the tribute of my presence. I pause when I catch a glimpse of who it is.

The boy from District 6, evident by his small size and purple jacket, leans over the creek, filling a water bottle. I smile. He won't be difficult to pick off. I scamper forward a little bit more, but at this point, it would be difficult for the District 6 boy not to hear me. I'm still several yards away when he turns and sees me.

His big eyes widen and he gasps. He immediately begins trying to run away, but his foot slips on a wet rock and he goes crashing to the ground. This gives me the opportunity to run up to him and yank him up by the collar, not allowing him to escape.

The boy thrashes around, attempting to strike me, but the angle is too weird for him to get a good hit. He manages to punch me several times, but the lack of momentum makes it barely more than a painful bat.

I lift up my spear and touch the tip to his carotid artery, ready to drive in the spear and bring myself to the Final 8.

But I hesitate. The boy's whimpers and tears make my hand pause, for some reason not pushing the spear any farther.

Why am I hesitating? _Just kill him!_ But the thought of spilling this kid's blood… he's the youngest tribute in the Hunger Games, and clearly doesn't deserve to be here.

 _Nobody does, Trajan! But they still have to die! Just fucking kill him already!_

If I kill the twelve-year-old from District 6, will he appear in my nightmares? Will this crying child walk as a zombie next to his former ally, the girl from District 8, and Lucretius and the Twelve male? Will he haunt me as they do?

I feel my spear begin to lower, but catch myself and bring it back to his neck, pressing harder this time. Any more pressure would break his vein and send blood spilling into the water.

What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I kill this kid? I've killed so many others, so why is it getting so difficult? This is stupid. Am I seriously getting _soft_?

"No!" I shout in response to my inner question. The kid's eyes look at me in alarm, but he doesn't move an inch. He knows that any slight movement he makes will inevitably kill him.

I'm not soft… or am I?

"Look," I mutter, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I'm not going to kill you. At least, not right now." Every word is forced. It's a struggle to speak. "I might change my mind, so you need to run the moment I let you go. Don't worry about gathering your supplies. If I change my mind, I doubt I'll spare you again. And this isn't a permanent thing. I'll likely kill you the next time I see you."

"O-okay," the boy stutters. "Thank you."

I let go of his collar, dropping him into the stream. As soon as he regains his footing, he heeds my advice and takes off into the jungle, leaving his water bottle and dagger. He glances back at me as he runs, his dark hair flopping in his face. For a moment, I consider chasing after him and actually killing him this time, but I stop myself.

Why have I become so soft? Why can't I kill this kid? In fear that he'll appear in my dreams? That's so stupid. Dreams are fake, I shouldn't be scared of them. The only thing I should be scared of is death, and that will only happen if I let other kids live.

Sighing, I pick up the boy's supplies. I might as well head back to the Cornucopia now. It doesn't look like I'll be strong enough to kill, anyway.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

My head aches badly when I wake up, and I immediately wish I could go back to sleep and get rid of the pain that plagues me. But alas, I cannot. Because I need to get out of here.

As soon as my eyes adjust to the light, I take notice of my surroundings. There's a rope digging into my skin, as I'm chained against a tree. I seem to be in a clearing, with a large stone slab in the center. I don't see anyone around, which is nice. My supplies are discarded off to the side, across the clearing. There's no possibility for me to reach them without breaking free first.

With nothing else to break free, I begin to gnaw on the rope keeping me in place. It's wrapped around my body multiple times, so it will require a lot of work. And my teeth are pretty weak after not caring for them in over a week.

As much as I chew on the rope, I've barely frayed it by the time I hear a song from far away. My heart begins to pound in panic - that's unmistakably the group that chained me up here in the first place. I try to bite through the rope faster, but my attempts prove futile when the volume of the song grows and eventually, the group marches into the clearing. My rope isn't even half-way broken.

I watch as the ground assembles in a circle around the tree I'm chained to, continuing to sing in a language I don't understand. It terrifies me. I don't like not knowing stuff, and I have no clue what's going on right now.

One man in particular steps out of the circle and walks up to me. He's very large and muscular, with long black hair. In choppy English, he says, "where is it?"

"Where's what?" I cry out, straining against my bonds.

"Where is it?" he repeats, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"I don't know!" I shout back.

"Sacrifice," he mutters, pointing at me. I feel all of the blood leave my face and I still.

"What?" I ask in a small voice.

"We need stone back, so you sacrifice," he says with some effort.

"What fucking stone?" I demand, but my questions go unanswered when several men step forward and seize me. I feel the ropes being cut, but I get no chance to escape because strong hands immediately grab me and begin to carry me over to the center of the clearing, toward the stone slab.

The singing resumes as they carry me on their shoulders. I thrash around, but the sheer number makes it so I can't break free, no matter how much I struggle.

"Let me go!" I yell, but they pay no attention and continue singing. They become louder, their volume raising until they're practically shouting the words to the song.

When we're next to the stone slab, they slam me down onto it so the breath is knocked out of me. The moments where I try to regain my breath waste the short opportunity I have to possibly escape. They surround the slab until the small gap where I might have been able to run through disappears.

People grab my limbs and yank me from all sides, holding me in place. I struggle to escape, but it's impossible to move more an inch due to the stretching in my limbs. If I move at all, an arm will be dislocated or something.

I look up and see the strong man who spoke to me holding a shiny dagger above his head. He raises it above my chest, with a determined gleam in his eyes. I know he's about to drive it down into my chest.

In panic, I try pull myself away. Unfortunately, I momentarily forget about the arms holding me in place.

 _POP!_

A sickening sound fills the air, preceding an intense pain in my shoulder. I immediately scream in pain, unable to resist. My dislocated arm is yanked back, hurting me even more, as the group holds me down to the table. I'm screaming my throat raw from pain and fear. My eyes flicker open at the man above me, who looks ready to plunge the dagger into my chest.

"No, please don't…" I mutter, a sob wracking my body. He lifts the dagger slightly higher, and I know that I'm about to die. "No!" I shout again, as loud as I can muster.

Through my tear-blurred vision, I see him pause, an odd look on his face. After a moment, he opens his mouth and bright red blood begins to bubble out. Then, he collapses forward, landing on top of me. The dagger misses my chest by inches, imbedding in the rock right next to my ribs.

I can see a small quarrel sticking out of the back of his neck, only a bit of blood trickling down. My scream has caught in my throat in shock. The group immediately begins to panic at the death of their leader, and the hands leave my body. I look to my left for my savior.

Standing at the edge of the clearing with her crossbow pointed at the group is Tristana Rockett of District 6.

I almost cry in relief. She rushes toward us, shooting another bolt at someone else, who goes down quickly. The rest of the group panics and runs away into the jungle, not even bothering to fight back.

I'm beginning to sit up when Tristana reaches me and slams me back down into the stone. She aims her crossbow at my face.

"Can I trust you?" she demands.

"Yes!" I immediately shout. She raises an eyebrow.

"How can I be sure of that?"

"You just saved my life!" I remind her. "I'm indebted to you. Besides, you clearly trusted me enough to save me in the first place." At this acknowledgment, Tristana lowers the crossbow.

"I suppose you're right," she shrugs. "Are you okay?" she asks, grabbing my good hand to help me sit up.

"I guess," I say, wincing. "My shoulder's killing me, though."

"What's wrong with your shoulder?"

"Dislocated," I admit. I swing my legs to the side so I'm sitting on the stone.

"Here," Tristana says, touching my shoulder. I immediately yelp in pain. "Sorry, this will hurt," she warns me, and I brace myself. Tristana pushes my shoulder back in and I feel a terrible pain as she relocates it. I hear another sickening pop and I hiss, but the pain subsides slightly when it's back in place. It by no means feels good, but it isn't as terrible as it was before.

"Thanks for saving me," I say after a moment.

"No problem," Tristana mumbles, looking at her feet.

"Uh… why did you?"

"I don't know… I guess you seemed like a nice guy the last time we talked, so… I decided I didn't want to see you get killed," she shrugs.

"Um… allies?" I ask. Tristana smiles.

"We'd better be, considering I just saved your life. I'm expecting you to return the favor."

"Okay," I chuckle, despite the pain. "I'll be sure to return the favor."

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

Things are looking good for me. I've made it to the Final 9, I have a jewel that will ensure my survival as long as I make it to the Final 5, and while my selection of supplies isn't abundant, they're enough to keep me alive until the Final 9.

As I stand at the edge of the cliff, looking out upon the arena, I know I need to reenter the danger. As much as the idea of staying up here tempts me, I know that I will inevitably bore the Capitol and the Gamemakers will have no qualms about sending a mutt to slaughter me. Usually, they use mutts to drive tributes together, but if a tribute has no effect on the Hunger Games, they'll have no problem killing them off.

Unfortunately, I don't think my arm is faring well enough to allow me to make the climb back down the cliffside. So I've been forced to resort to the ziplines, which I previously remarked a tribute would have to be an idiot to use.

It looks like I'm that idiot now. Sighing, I look at the three lines spanning in different directions. One of them leads straight toward the Cornucopia, which I immediately rule out. I don't want to ride down into the swords of the Careers. Another stretches so far into the arena, I can't see where it ends. Either way, I'm less ecstatic about going where I don't know. And I want to get off of this zipline as soon as possible. The final line heads down below, toward the river. This choice seems tempting, and I've almost decided to ride on this one, before I realize how steep it is. The speed will surely be ridiculously dangerous.

After this realization, I reconsider the longest zipline. It's the least steep, and even if I don't know where it goes, it seems the safest right now.

Sighing, I decide to hook myself up to that one. There's a stone directly underneath the harness, which I'm assuming was placed so I could climb into the harness. I take a deep breath and step up onto it.

The rock is directly at the edge of the cliff, so it's a long fall. My heart begins to beat extremely fast and I gulp as I look down at the long fall.

 _Don't look down, Lennox, what the hell are you doing?_

I direct my eyes back up, toward the harness. It doesn't look too stable with straps of leather, but I think it could hold me. I place each leg into a leghole, holding onto the cord in order to stay in place before I'm completely buckled in. I tighten each of the straps until I'm pretty sure I've gotten into the harness correctly. I quickly test it by leaning back, and when it holds me considerably well, I decide that it's good enough.

After several more deep breaths to gain bravery, I jump off the cliff.

There's a moment when I'm just falling, and I feel my stomach leap up into my throat, but then my harness catches me and I'm sliding along the zipline.

I'm heading quite fast, even though I chose the one I thought would be the slowest. The wind whips my dark hair around and the green trees pass in a blur under me. I pass directly over the Cornucopia, where I manage to spot a girl practicing sword-fighting before I go shooting past.

If I wasn't filled with so much fear, this would almost be fun. I have a view of the Cornucopia like no one else has seen. I spot a pair of tributes as I pass a river, and while I don't stay long enough to identify them, they are obviously not fighting and are therefore allies.

I've almost begun to enjoy myself when I feel something to slip out of my pocket. At this point, I'm heading toward a giant canyon and the line is getting closer to the ground. I reach toward my jacket pocket for the thing slipping out, but I forget that I no longer have a hand on my arm and there's nothing there to grab onto the jewel as it slides out of my pocket.

I reach for the jewel with my other hand desperately, but it slips through my fingers as I shoot over the canyon. I watch in horror as my chance of returning home falls into the giant canyon which I have no possibility of going into. I can't tear my eyes away as I stare behind me, hand still dangling where I tried to grab the jewel.

Just like that, my hopes of returning home have fallen. They've been crushed. I don't have a chance of becoming a Victor with this one arm. How will I ever return home to Ada now?

I'm doomed.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

The rain has begun to fall heavier. Previously, it was just a light drizzle (like most of the rain we've had) but now it's pouring freezing rain. The previous heat of the morning has dissolved, leaving me shivering as I run through the jungle, my leather jacket hiked up over my head to prevent my face from getting soaked.

I can barely see, which is one of the reasons why I haven't managed to find Hadley yet. He wasn't too far away from the river, but it's difficult for me to find my way back.

I'm concerned he's in danger. He's been filtering in and out of consciousness all day, and the last time I took his pulse, it was very slow. He's dying.

"Hadley!" I scream, giving up trying to be quiet. I doubt he can hear me over the rain, but I listen for a response anyway. I don't hear anything.

I tighten the jacket over my arms and allow my teeth to chatter. It feels like there's ice in my bones and my hands are pruned from being wet for so long. I wander further into the jungle, and finally, to my relief, I reach the edge of the forest, where the canyon is. Fortunately, I've already managed to get us out of the canyon, and I hid Hadley in a hollow tree trunk near the edge of the jungle.

I quickly find the tree which has Hadley inside of it. Shielding my eyes from the rain, I squeeze inside. It's an extremely tight fit with both of us, and is by no means comfortable. But at least it's dry.

I remove my soaking jacket and immediately check on Hadley. He's no longer conscious, but his limbs are twitching, which can't be good. I lift my fingers and press them to his neck and wait to feel a pulse.

At first, I can barely feel it. It's a very slow and inconsistent beat. Hadley's dying.

"Hadley, come on! Wake up!" I mutter, my voice cracking. Hot tears have clouded my vision as I shake Hadley lightly. He groans and his head tilts toward me, but he doesn't open his eyes. "Hadley, you have to wake up!" I cry. He lifts his hand, but it immediately drops back down.

Hadley has helped me these entire Games. He has always put my safety above his own, which is why he's the one dying right now. It's not fair. Hadley doesn't deserve to die, he deserves to live! He has to survive for his brothers back home.

The rain is pounding against the tree outside, so I can barely recognize the familiar beeping sound. When I notice it, I almost cry in delight. No longer carrying about being wet, I rush outside to look for the sponsor gift.

Almost immediately after exiting the tree, I get completely soaked, but I don't care. Using my hand to shield my eyes, I scan the sky for the parachute with the gift. Through the rain, I manage to spot it above my head. It almost gets snagged on a branch, but luckily makes it through and into my waiting arms.

The moment the gift is in my hands I rush back to Hadley. I squeeze back into the trunk, immediately tearing open the package. Inside is a small vial of blue liquid. My shaky, numb hands reach inside for a slip of paper and I find a small note which is immediately stained with my wet hands.

 _Drink completely and wait for several hours. We're rooting for you. - C._

I uncork the vial and open Hadley's jaw. I tilt the vial so that the liquid runs into his mouth. When the vial is drained, I close his mouth and tilt his head back so that if any of the antidote is left in his mouth, it will run down his throat.

I nervously feel Hadley's pulse again, but there isn't any change yet.

Nervously, I wrap my arms around him in a hug. All I can do now is wait.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

Vincent has been pretty quiet ever since we found the cave. After wandering around in the storm for a few hours, we managed to find a decent-sized cave to curl up in. I even had matches, so we were able to build a fire to dry our clothes. It's a bit awkward that we had to strip down to our underwear in order to dry our soaking outfits, but I haven't had much privacy for weeks now, so I can deal with it.

Yesterday, I killed Rachel. I don't feel much guilt since she slaughtered one of our allies and tried to kill me as well, but I still feel bad about having blood on my hands. Even if I didn't have a choice, that's never something I'll be able to get over. I smashed a rock into a girl's skull - and it was a girl I had gotten to know fairly well… well, I guess most of what I knew was an act.

I glance at Vincent, who's staring out into the rain. The fire flickers across his tan skin. The Capitol anthem starts, but I don't bother watching it. Nobody died today and the music quickly ends.

"I thought for sure we'd enter the Final 8 today," Vincent remarks. "Although, at one point I thought I wouldn't be a part of it."

"Yeah," I agree. "But there's always tomorrow."

"Your allies were the last three to die, weren't they?" Vincent asks. I nod, but begin to panic when I realize what he could infer from that.

"But I didn't kill them! Well, I killed one of them… but it was self-defense!"

"Relax," Vincent chuckles. "I'm not worried you're going to kill me. That wouldn't make sense after you saved my life."

"Okay," I sigh in relief.

"What did happen to them, though?" he asks.

"Arabella… well, she went to gather food and never returned. We don't really know what happened to her, but I'm guessing she was killed by a Career or something. Anything could have happened, though. Then Rachel killed Yael, and she tried to kill me… and she almost succeeded," I say, showing him the bruises around my throat from where Rachel tried to strangle me. "But I killed her first. I didn't want to, but I had to. It was self-defense."

"It's okay, I understand," Vincent says. His smile fades and he stares at the rain again.

"Have you killed anyone?" I ask nervously.

"One person," he admits. "The girl from District 2. It was how I escaped the Career alliance."

"Oh," I say in a small voice. If he killed his previous ally, how do I know he won't kill me?

"But she was terrible. I… I don't really regret it. I mean, I would never kill in real life, of course. Back in District 7, I was a good guy - I was one of the most popular people in my District. But it's the Hunger Games, right? Rules change. In the Hunger Games, it's kill or be killed. If I want to live, I have to kill. There's only one survivor," Vincent says, running his fingers through his black hair.

 _He sounds like Rachel_. The uncanny comparison terrifies me - he's right, I suppose, but the philosophy is too similar to that of the ally who attempted to murder me.

"But there's not only one survivor," I say. Vincent raises an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? Only one person wins the Hunger Games. That's how it's always been."

"Do you not know?" I ask, surprised. After thinking, though, I realize that it's actually very likely that he has no clue what I'm talking about.

"No. What?"

"There are these gems hidden around the arena," I explain, "and if someone has one, then they can survive. They make it to the Final 5 or something, and then they can go home as survivors. They don't win, but they live and go back to how things were before. There are three gems."

"Really?" Vincent says, shocked. His blue eyes are wide with surprise. I nod, and his face splits into a grin. "That's excellent! Do… do you have one?"

"Yeah," I say. His smile, which I've never seen before, is actually very infectious. It makes him very handsome - well, he was already handsome, but it makes him super attractive now and… Goddamnit, now I'm blushing.

"Can I see it?" he asks.

"Sure," I say, crawling over to the fire, where my pants are drying. I reach inside the damp pockets and find the ruby I went through so much to get. I show it to Vincent, and he looks at it with an excited gleam in his eye.

"Wow," he whispers. "We can both go home."

* * *

 **Please review! It doesn't even need to be long. I've been noticing that I've been getting roughly double the number of poll votes than reviews, which I think is pretty annoying. If you bother to vote on the poll, then you may as well leave a quick review so I know you're reading. It really pleases me to see people reading my story because it motivates me a** _ **ton**_ **!**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. The Careers are clearly heading toward a break-up. If only one Career could survive (not saying that it will happen), who would you want to survive? What would your ranking of the Careers be?**

 **2\. Do you think Trajan is still a villain, or is he heading to a more sympathetic character?**

 **3\. What are your opinions on who survived (in the Rachel/Tristana fight)? Are you satisfied with the survivor?**

 **4\. The third gem is technically out of play now, so who would you like to have the other two?**

 **5\. What do you think will be the fate of Axel and Hadley?**

 **6\. Was it a bad decision for Tristana to ally with Vincent?**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Tristana Rockett (D6F)  
Sapphire - Nobody**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)  
10th: ?**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Cecelia/Trajan/Glorian/Noelani  
Axel/Hadley**

 **SOLO:**

 **Lennox  
Tristana or Rachel  
Vincent**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 1  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Noelani King (D4F) - 0  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 0  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 1 (thanks for reminding me to update this, TacoPhoenix)  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1  
Rachel Ivy (D12F) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	57. Chance Alector III

**District 7**

 **Chance Alector**

* * *

Sleep has been rough ever since we discovered Dara was suspected to be a rebel, and soon to be tortured for information she didn't have. She's trying to act fearless, but I know she's actually terrified. I know I am.

We're running out of time before the Peacekeepers come for her. I think that we should leave the Capitol while we still have the chance, but Dara has shut me down whenever I've tried to discuss it with her. I think she just doesn't want to face the haunting fact that we'll likely be in trouble either way, so she's trying to delay the inevitable. But I won't wait around for her to get killed. We need to get out of here while we get a chance.

I'm not even trying to sleep, even though it's well past midnight. I've been watching the Hunger Games for hours now, even though I'm not really paying attention. The camera is just alternating through sleeping tributes, anyway. Nothing interesting is happening.

I finally decide to stop sitting around. I don't care if Dara thinks it's a bad idea, I will literally _drag_ her out of the Capitol if I have to. I care about her too much to see her get killed by the President.

I switch off the television and leave the couch, going to her bedroom. We're going to leave the Capitol while we have the chance.

I burst open the door, not even bothering knocking. Dara, who is wide awake, sits up her bed and looks up at me.

"Chance? What do you want?" she demands.

"We're leaving the Capitol," I state simply. "Right now."

"What are you talking about?" she gasps.

"We don't have much more time before the Peacekeepers come to _torture_ and _kill_ you. We need to get you out of here."

"Chance, while I appreciate your concern -"

"Will you _stop_ pretending like there's nothing wrong?" I shout. Dara's eyes widen in surprise. I slide onto the bed and grab her shoulders so that she's forced to look me in the eyes. "Are you listening to me?" I demand.

"Chance, your grip hurts -"

"Are you listening to me?" I repeat. She nods. "You're going to _die_ if we don't get out of here. You will. Understand that. We don't have time to waste sitting around, because it changes nothing. If you want to live, we need to leave."

"But we'll get caught -"

"Probably. But that's better than definitely dying, isn't it?"

Hesitantly, Dara nods.

"Okay. Then let's get out of here while we can."

Dara doesn't argue as I pull her out of bed. I allow her to quickly dress, but immediately afterward, we leave our floor on the Tribute Tower. Leon is fast asleep in his room - I consider writing him a note explaining to keep quiet, but immediately decide against it. Leon genuinely likes Dara and I, but he loves the Capitol so much that I think he might rat us out if he gets the opportunity.

Dara and I ride the elevator down to the ground floor in silence. The ground floor is empty, but the moment we step out onto the street, we're bombarded by Peacekeepers.

"Where are you going?" one of them demands. The others grab onto us, holding us in place. Dara looks at me for help.

"J-Just a walk," I mutter.

"At 3 AM?" he asks skeptically.

"Yes," Dara says stiffly. "We couldn't sleep, since we were nervous about Vincent Elm. He's Chance's tribute."

I can't see through the Peacekeeper's masks, but I don't think they're buying it. Either way, they have no evidence against us.

"Well, stay on your floor. We don't want any mentors _going missing_."

"Fine," I say. "We'll go back to sleep."

The Peacekeeper leads us back inside the building, and doesn't leave until we enter the elevator. The moment the door shuts, I groan and bury my head in my hands.

"I told you it wouldn't work," Dara says. "Did you really think they'd just let us walk out of here?"

"I don't know. I usually can go wherever I want in the Capitol."

"Well usually, you're not suspected to be a rebel."

"We'll just need to try again, another way," I say determinedly. Dara sighs and leans against the wall.

"I guess," she says, with no confidence in her voice. She knows time is running out, and she knows we probably won't get out of here in time. But I won't stop trying.

* * *

 **Time for another super long eulogy!**

 **EULOGIES:**

 **10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F): Skull smashed by Tristana Rockett (D6F) - Rachel was a really interesting tribute, and I was surprised so many people disliked her. She may have been sneaky and untrustworthy, but in the end, she was just doing what she had to do to survive. I'm guessing that it was the contrast between her and a lot of the more moral tributes that made her appear so villainous, but I personally don't consider her a villain. I was glad to see that while she was more unpopular between her and Tristana, some people still liked her and were rooting for her. I actually like her a lot so I was disappointed to see so many people hating her in the reviews and polls. When I asked who everyone would prefer to survive, though, a decent number of you said you preferred Rachel over Tristana, which I was glad about. I was worried it was going to be too obvious who the survivor was and who everyone** _ **wanted**_ **to survive. I think the vast difference in opinions over Rachel shows how complex she is. I was surprised that so many people thought Rachel would be the one to survive. But in the end, I decided it was Rachel's time to go. Between her and Tristana, she was the less popular one. I also felt like if she didn't have an alliance, she'd end up being a lot like Lennox, and I didn't want to have two very similar tributes wandering around the arena without very many interactions. She didn't have very much potential after her alliance died, since most of her strategy came from manipulating her allies. I think 10th is a good placement for her. Sorry, CallmeLegend, but you haven't reviewed in a long time and didn't respond when I messaged you to check if you were still reading. Despite this, Rachel did pretty well, so if you're reading this (which I doubt) I hope you're pleased with where she placed. I was disappointed we never got to see her kinder side, since she** _ **was**_ **a better person at home. In her submission, she was described as nice and loving but someone who was willing to do whatever it took to win. I know some of you will be disappointed that Rachel was the one who died, but I'm sure most of you prefer her dying over your tributes. This has become one chunk of a paragraph so I'm going to end her eulogy, now, even though I have much more to say on her. RIP Rachel.**

 **\- Lilah**


	58. Day 10: Part 1: Ready to Run

**This chapter was going to be out way sooner… I set out each evening with the intention of writing it, but each time I did, I ended up staring at a blank page until I retired to the sinkhole of my Youtube recommendations page. I think I was just scared for it because I didn't want to write the death… :(**

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Noelani King**

* * *

I feel my shoulder nudged once, and then again. Groaning, I rub my eyes as I try to shake off the sleep. I usually take a few moments before opening my eyes, because the sudden light can be painful, but I don't get a chance to this morning. I'm frantically shaken once again, and this time my eyes fly open.

Cecelia leans over me, her hands gripping my shoulders tightly. Before I can open my mouth to ask the problem, she raises her finger to her lips to indicate silence. My mind quickly catches up and I understand the situation…

It's finally happening. We're leaving the Careers.

I swallow, a knot of fear and guilt forming in my gut, but I nod to show that I'm on board, and silently untangle myself from the blanket I was wrapped in last night. I need to be especially quiet not to wake Glorian or Trajan.

I do feel bad for leaving them, especially Glorian, who has assured me I have his complete trust, but I know that I have no choice. As we near the end of the Games, the value of the alliance decreases. Cecelia and I no longer need the Careers for protection, and nearly all of our supplies are gone. Strategically, it makes no sense. And there's no way for me to get that gem if we're forced to sit in the Cornucopia all day.

Cecelia is toward the end of the Cornucopia, attempting to load all of the remaining useful supplies into two satchels. I consider advising her to leave a few things for Glorian (and Trajan, I suppose) but bite my tongue. After all, they'll need to die for us to win, anyway, so what's the use of leaving Glorian some rope and a switchblade? And I can't risk waking them up by speaking.

Cecelia tip-toes over to me with a satchel held carefully in each hand, and she hands me one of them. I carefully sling it over my shoulder, very aware of the clanking coming from inside as it moves. I glance nervously at Glorian and Trajan, but neither of them stirs.

It's very early morning; so early, it's basically night. They likely won't awake for a while, as long as we stay quiet. Cecelia pulls me close and whispers in my ear, "I need to get the gun."

It takes me a moment to register what gun she's talking about. My thoughts are slightly delayed from just waking up. She wants to get Trajan's gun - the one he got during the Bloodbath. The one he tackled Cecelia to get, even though he's barely used it our ten days in the Hunger Games. He initially bragged about it, but eventually quieted down to the point where it completely slipped my mind. I suppose Cecelia hasn't forgotten about it, though.

"What? Are you crazy?" I hiss back, slightly too loud. Cecelia's brown eyes widen in fear as she glances at the two boys. Glorian stirs for a moment, and I swear I feel my heart stop, but then he settles down again and I can breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm not crazy," Cecelia whispers. "That can provide a major advantage, especially since there are so few long-distance weapons. We could really use that, and it would help us make it to the end."

"But, Cecelia… Don't take this the wrong way, but your aim sort of sucks."

"The gun can't be Trajan's hands," Cecelia says, ignoring my previous comment.

"But it _is_ in his hands. Are you just going to yank it out of his hands as he sleeps?" I ask, astounded that she would be so careful about staying quiet but then tries to pull the gun out of Trajan's hands. I watch Trajan sleep, and I can clearly see the firearm loosely held in his left hand as he dreams.

Cecelia carefully tip-toes over to the District 1 boy, ignoring all of my warnings. I bite my lip in fear as I look around, nervously. My eyes flicker between Cecelia, Trajan, and Glorian, nervous that someone will wake up and kill her. I don't like the fact that I'm so far from her, because if a threat _did_ arise, I wouldn't be able to protect her.

I know that logically it's a bad idea, but I move up a little bit more so I'm standing only a few feet away from where Cecelia crouches over Trajan. With shaky hands, she reaches out slowly and wraps her fingers around the butt of the pistol.

Trajan shifts in his sleep, and my hand tightens around my sword automatically. But Trajan doesn't wake up. Cecelia pulls the gun away from him carefully, and he doesn't move, to my relief. Although, I almost think I saw his eyelids twitch for a moment when the gun was lifted from his hands.

Cecelia gives me a thumbs-up, and beckons me over toward the exit of the Cornucopia. I carefully speed-walk past the two boys and join her by the mouth of the Cornucopia, pleased that we're finally getting out of here. Despite the guilt that comes along with it, I can't deny the anxiety I've gotten surrounded by all of the Careers. _Especially_ this morning.

The moment we're outside of the Cornucopia, I breathe a sigh of relief. We've _made it_. Cecelia and I share a relieved smile for a moment.

"Where are you headed, ladies?"

My heart plummets when I hear Trajan's unmistakable voice. Cecelia's face goes completely pale as we nervously turn to see Trajan standing in the mouth of the Cornucopia, wide awake. We're at a loss for words. Unfortunately, Trajan isn't.

"Aren't you going to answer my question?" he asks. Neither of us responds. "I'm guessing you're not going hunting for our breakfast, are you? Not with the entire camp loaded onto your backs… But you can't be sneaking off! After all, what have we ever done to you? Especially Glorian - he trusts you, you know. I've warned him this would happen, but he said you had his full trust. Have you no guilt?"

Trajan sounds almost _triumphant_. As if this is fun for him. I suppose it is - after all, Trajan is a twisted person. He's absolutely delighted that he's caught Cecelia and I trying to sneak away, betraying Glorian.

"You're one to talk," Cecelia scoffs. She's trying to look tough, but her face is red. "You've been one of the biggest villains in this arena! You don't care about anything you do. Everything's just a game to you. _Have you no guilt, Trajan_?"

To my surprise, Trajan's signature smirk fades as something sad flickers across his expression. But he clenches his jaw and quickly regains his former gusto - or, he _tries_ to. He no longer seems triumphant and amused… he's angry now.

"It _is_ a game. The Hunger _Games_."

"Then why are you upset about us leaving?" Cecelia asks.

"Who said I was upset? This finally gives me a chance to do what I've been waiting for ever since that day on the train - to kill you, without upsetting Glorian. In fact, he'll likely cheer me on. Or help out. Because he won't be too happy when he finds out what you're doing, will he?" Trajan asks.

My body goes numb at the thought of Glorian waking up. Not only am I not eager at the thought of fighting Glorian, but I don't want to see the look on his face when he finds out we betrayed him… even though we were perfectly aware he would never do the same to us.

I can tell that Cecelia feels the same when I glance over at her. Trajan smiles happily when he sees our fear.

"Oh, you don't want me to wake him up?" Trajan asks tauntingly.

"I'll shoot you first," Cecelia warns. "I have your gun."

"I know. How do you think I woke up?" Trajan inquires, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I have my spear. I'm no great at sword-throwing, but…"

"But what? You won't be able to protect against a gun with just a spear."

"Maybe not, but the gunshot will wake up Glorian and I think I can manage to throw this spear at your ally before I bleed out, huh?" Trajan asks. At the threat, Cecelia lowers the gun slightly, less eager to shoot Trajan. "What do you think? Time to wake him up?"

"Get ready to run," Cecelia tells me through gritted teeth.

"What do you mean?" I ask as Trajan skips over to Glorian like a little girl. "We won't be able to outrun them, especially since Trajan has his spear."

"You're right. _We_ won't. Someone would need to hold them off. So get ready to run."

"No!" I shout when I realize what she's saying. "You can't -"

"Glorian!" Trajan shouts at the top of his lungs.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

The snake venom makes things weird.

These past few days, I've felt myself become a bit weaker and become more and more separated from reality. I get stuck in delusions, and I'm only conscious on occasion.

In the rare times when I'm awake and I can see Axel, he doesn't look like Axel. Dreams combine with reality and Axel becomes Savanna, or Linen, or one of my brothers, or sometimes one of the Careers. It's weird. His figure shifts before my eyes until he's entirely someone else.

There are bright flashing, colorful lights inside my eyes. Am I in the Capitol?

There are loud noises, like screeching and music, that overwhelm me and give me a pounding headache. It makes it difficult to think and confuses me.

Yesterday, I think President Divine came into my tree and made me drink apple juice. At least, that's what I saw. I don't know what actually happened, because I was half asleep and very confused.

But after I drank the apple juice, I went right back to sleep. When I woke up, I felt much stronger. Even now, the sounds have dulled somewhat and most of the time when I'm awake, I see things alright. I can see Axel and he doesn't look like other people anymore. He's still blurry, but I'm no longer having hallucinations.

I'm very dizzy. I feel like I'm on a ship, because everything rocks back and forth. It makes me feel motion sick, so I think I vomited multiple times today.

I close my eyes shut, trying to get rid of the rocking feeling. Without intending to, I fall back asleep.

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

Trajan's shout is what rattles me from my deep sleep. At the sound of my name, I shift back into consciousness and open my eyes. I pull myself to my feet, clutching onto my sword in case we're under attack. After all, what else would cause Trajan to rouse me so early in the morning?

I turn around to see Trajan standing at the mouth of the Cornucopia, pointing a spear at the girls. Having just woken up, it takes a few seconds for my brain to catch up… Cecelia and Noelania are standing midway between the Cornucopia and jungle, armed with their weapons and with supplies loaded up on their backs… more supplies than they should ever need if they were going hunting. It seems like they have the entire camp on their backs.

"What's going on?" I ask in what I hope is a calm voice, even though I have a bad inkling I already know.

"These girls - you know, the ones you thought you trusted? - well, they're ditching us, Glor. They got all of the supplies, not even a fair portion, and tried ditching us in the middle of the night. Luckily, this one -" Trajan jabs his finger in Cecelia's direction, "Was dumb enough to try and steal my gun, which woke me up. Otherwise, they'd be long gone."

I look between the three of them, trying to put together the events of this morning. What the hell is going on? Are Cecelia and Noelani really trying to ditch us?

I look to the girls, hoping one of them will refute Trajan's claim, but they avoid my eyes with guilty expression on their faces. This proves what I suppose I already knew.

I step forward, and I see both of them flinch. But I plant my ground between Trajan and the girls. I'm worried they'll try to kill each other before I can say my piece. Noelani is staring at her feet in shame, refusing to look at me, but Cecelia dares to make eye contact. I decide to direct my statements at her.

Unfortunately, my words catch in my throat before I can speak them and I'm left silent, staring at Cecelia. Finally, I manage to speak, but it comes out as an embarrassing croak.

"Why would you do this?"

Cecelia looks surprised, and glances to Noelani for help, but she's busy counting blades of grass. Cecelia looks back to me, an apologetic expression on her face.

"It's nearly the Final 8, Glorian. The Careers can't stick together until the end. You know this. I thought… I thought you might understand."

"If you thought I'd understand, why would you try sneaking away in the middle of the night?" I ask.

"Because I was worried you wouldn't," she says simply. "Look, the Careers can never stick together until the end. We made it farther than most Career packs, but it was time to leave. As soon as the next person dies, we'll make up half of the remaining tributes. Did you really think we'd spent the rest of the Hunger Games together?"

"I don't know," I say in a small voice. "I wanted us to. I mean, I thought we'd get rid of Trajan at one point or another -"

"Huh?" Trajan interrupts, but I ignore him.

"But I trusted you guys. I thought we could make it to the end together."

"I'm sorry," Cecelia shakes her head, "but we decided it would just be the two of us."

I feel a pang in my chest. I knew they were closer than I was to them, but I had always hoped I could be included in the inner alliance, so they wouldn't betray me. But this just reminds me of how alone I am in the arena. Throughout my entire time leading the Career pack, I was the only one without any inner alliances. Even Trajan had some deals with other people, but not me. I wanted to be an impartial leader, but look where it got me. I worked harder than anyone else to make an effective alliance and feed us, but they're ditching me the first chance they get.

"You could have at least left my share of supplies," I whisper. Cecelia looks down, not trying to defend herself anymore. She knows it was bad that she took all of the supplies for herself, and left Trajan and me with nothing.

I don't know why, but I take a step toward Cecelia. Everything happens so fast. Cecelia sees me walking toward her and panics. She automatically fires the gun at me.

I gasp, but the shot is wild and misses me completely. I'm lucky Cecelia has such terrible aim - otherwise, I'd be dead.

"You tried to kill me," I whisper in disbelief, staring at her in shock. Cecelia looks just surprised, gaping at her gun. "Ditching me is one thing, but… you actually tried to kill me."

I try to come to terms with this, but it's difficult to wrap my head around it. Someone I trusted tried to kill me. Someone who saved my life tried to take it back.

"Can I kill her now?" I hear Trajan ask.

I pause, then cooly say, "go ahead."

Cecelia's eyes widen as she glances at me in shock. Maybe she thought it was only okay for _her_ to kill _me_. Well, guess what, Cecelia? Two can play at that game.

Trajan charges at her in glee, but she doesn't run. She holds her ground, getting her sword ready to fight. Concerned that Trajan may be overpowered and allow the girls to run free, I follow him, ready to join in on the fight as well.

As Trajan charges at Cecelia, she swings her sword at him. His momentum carries him forward and nearly into the blade of her sword, but he skids to a halt, knocking the blade away with her spear. Trajan immediately throws himself back at her, thrusting his sword at her stomach.

I've seen Trajan fight before, but never like this. This time, he has no restraints. This time, he's fighting to kill.

His spear would have embedded itself in her stomach, if not for Noelani, who after watching in horror initially, collides with him and causes him to crash to the ground.

Cecelia raises her sword to kill Trajan, who lies on the ground with no chance of moving in time. I rush at her, my sword poised. She can't escape. That's not fair. She can't get what she wants, and punish Trajan for being loyal. It isn't fair.

She notices me coming just in time, and moves her sword from its position above Trajan's head to deflect mine away. The metal clangs as my sword bounces back on the impact. I waste no time in swinging back at her, hoping to cut her legs. She manages to jump over the sword, and before I can steady myself, she sends a powerful kick into my chest.

I'm sturdy, but Cecelia's surprisingly powerful and knocks me backward. I almost fall, but stumble and catch myself in time, only falling to one knee. I look up in time to see Cecelia running at me, her sword around to decapitate me. I duck my head immediately, so quickly that my already-broken nose slams into the dirt, sending a blinding pain across my face.

I hear the whoosh of the sword as it swings over my head by an inch, and I'm quite sure that she managed to trim a bit of hair off my skull.

The pain of hitting my nose momentarily diverted my attention, but I force myself to refocus and launch myself at Cecelia. I grab her legs and throw her to the ground, hard. She gasps as her head slams into the earth, and despite the soft dirt, it looks painful.

Before she can get back to her feet, I get on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She begins fighting to get back up, so I send a punch toward her cheek with my powerful fist. It collides and her head snaps back as she cries out in pain.

I use this moment to see why we haven't been interrupted by Noelani or Trajan. I'm only allowed a quick glance at them fighting off to the side before I feel a sharp pain on my face.

My head snaps back to Cecelia, and I knock away her hand. Her sword was dropped a few feet away when I tackled her, so I didn't bother holding her hands down. She didn't have enough room to punch me, so I figured she wouldn't be able to do any damage. I was wrong.

Cecelia uses her fingernails to claw at my face and neck, drawing decent amounts of blood as she digs into my skin. I below in pain, slamming my fists back into her face until her hands drop to try and protect her face.

My sword is also lying a few feet away, discarded, so I have no way to kill her but with my hands. I reach down and grasp onto her neck, tightening my grip around her throat. She whimpers in pain as she claws at my hands, but I don't let go, even when her fingernails draw blood.

Even as her face turns purple from lack of oxygen, she doesn't stop fighting. She claws at my hands until she's literally tearing chunks of skin from my hands. Blood gushes down onto her neck, and she doesn't stop. Every scratch she makes provides more pain, until it becomes unbearable and I can't help but let my hands slacken.

Cecelia knocks them away, gasping for air. I reach for her throat again, but this time I'm stopped as someone grabs the back of my shirt and throws me off her.

I don't even know what's happening as I'm tossed to the ground a few feet away, slamming my head into the soft earth as Cecelia's did. I quickly jump back to my feet, confused by what just happened.

It was _Trajan_ who threw me off Cecelia, technically saving her. At first I'm confused - does he want her to live? - but when I see him thrust his spear back at her, I realize what's really going on. He wants to kill her _himself_.

Cecelia tries to roll out of the way, but the spear snags on her side, drawing blood as she screams in pain. I quickly grab my sword and run back at her, but I'm stopped by Noelani, who appears out of nowhere with her sword raised.

She slams the sword down at me, and it brushes my arm as I try to move out of the way, cutting off part of my jacket sleeve and drawing a considerable amount of blood. The sting is instantaneously, but not awful. I can deal with it, it isn't a bad injury.

I swing my sword back at Noelani, but she jumps out of the way. I immediately swing my sword back at her, taking a step forward. She backs up even more, almost knocking into Trajan as he fights Cecelia. Noelani swings her sword back at me, but before she can make contact, I thrust the sword at her and it imbeds itself into her chest.

Noelani cries out in pain, and the effect is instantaneous. Everyone freezes. Even Cecelia and Trajan stop their fighting as Noelani falls to the ground. We all just watch in shock as she collapses, and almost immediately, the cannon marking her death rings out.

The cannon is what unfreezes us. We all look at each other, at a loss for words, and not knowing what we should do.

Cecelia gives me one of the worst looks ever - a glare of shock and heartbreak and rage, but she doesn't dare fight me. Instead, she runs off into the jungle. Nobody follows her, even though Trajan and I were so determined to kill her earlier.

I don't know what he's thinking, but I know what I am - _one death's enough_.

Trajan looks at me expectantly, and when I don't move, he nods toward the trees.

"Go," he orders.

For some reason, I don't question the fact that he's making me leave the Cornucopia. I know I could beat him in a fight if I really wanted to stay, and I doubt he'd even fight me. If I told _him_ to leave the safety of the Cornucopia and run into the jungle with nothing but a weapon, he would.

But I don't order him to go. Instead, I obey him and run toward the jungle, in the opposite direction of Cecelia. I leave Cornucopia, which was my safety for the past ten days. Now, it just serves as a reminder of everything - the deaths of Luc and Noelani, my time as the leader of the Career pack.

But now there _is_ no Career pack. The three remaining Careers have divided, and now we will hunt individually.

As I enter the wild jungle, I realize that I've finally gotten what I've longed for over the past ten days - solitude. For some reason, it doesn't feel as desirable now. My mind immediately shifts to the day when Cecelia, Noelani, and I were confined to the Cornucopia as the acid rain poured around us.

I never thought I'd be the one to kill Noelani. It's difficult to wrap my head around.

I slow my run to walk so I won't trip over any roots or rocks. Now, it's just me. I don't have to look out for anyone else, and I can reap the benefits of my hard work without having to share with anyone else. I should be happy and relieved, but all I can feel is the guilt bubbling up inside me.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

Vincent and I have been walking all morning. I was all for staying in the cave all day, since it provided a decent shelter and I felt safe in there, but Vincent reasoned that from what we could tell, it was far from any water source. Even though rain falls steadily in this arena, he made the good point that we shouldn't become over-reliant on it. The Gamemakers have a tendency to let the tributes feel comfortable, then take it all away.

Vincent promised that he knew where the river was and that we could set up camp there, but so far, we haven't seen any sign of water even though it's noon. He said it wasn't too far from the shelter, a two-hour walk at most, but we've been walking for perhaps four hours now.

He's not admitting it, but I'm about we're 90% sure we're lost. He looks around nervously.

"Does this look familiar to you?" he asks.

"No," I say. "You're the one who led us here."

"It looks different…" he mutters under his breath, pushing a layer of vines out of the way so we can walk through.

The jungle is especially dense in this part, to the point where Vincent has to constantly be chopping away shrubbery for us to proceed. He seems a bit nervous.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" I ask for the umpteenth time.

Vincent responds as he always does, with an impatient, "yes."

"Really? Because if you don't, we can always go back. It's better to admit it now rather than way until we're even farther -"

"Tristana, I said _yes_ ," he says harshly. I fall quiet, a bit shaken by his sudden outburst. Vincent sighs and stops, turning to face me. "Sorry for shouting," he says. "But I really do think we're close. See how muddy the ground is? The river must be nearby."

I look down at the ground, which _is_ quite damp. The sticky mud sticks to my purple boots and makes it a bit difficult to walk. I personally don't see it as a good sign, but a hindrance.

"Maybe it's just muddy because it rains a lot?" I suggest. Vincent sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Why can't you just be optimistic?" he groans. This rubs me the wrong way.

"I _am_ optimistic," I say coldly. "I just wish you weren't so stubborn and stopped increasing our dangerous just because you don't want to be proven wrong. You clearly have no clue where we are, and had you admitted it sooner, we could have hiked back to the cave by now. Instead, we're stuck in this gross, muddy, buggy area of the jungle where we'll have nowhere to sleep _or_ get water."

"I'm not being stubborn! This _is_ the right direction, it's just… unfamiliar terrain."

"That's not reassuring, Vincent," I say.

"Look, if we just walk a little longer, we'll reach the river and have plenty of supplies -"

"That's what you've said for the past four hours, but we're nowhere close to a freaking river!" I snap. " _I'm_ going back to the cave. I'm not going to wander around aimlessly in this gross part of the jungle anymore. You can join me if you want, but I'm not following you deeper into the swamp."

Vincent stands still, staring at me with a stoic expression on his face. Taking this as a sign of stubbornness, I turn in the opposite direction and begin walking away from him, back to the cave where I know I'll have safety for the night.

Vincent doesn't say anything else as I begin walking back. All I can hear is the slapping of my leather boots on the mud. After I've walked several feet, I can't help but glance back to see what he's doing. Vincent is still standing, watching me.

"Well? Go on. Go find your river," I insist. Vincent sighs and begins walking toward me.

"Tristana -" he begins, but his eyes drift downward and widen in fear. "Keep still."

"Snake?" I ask nervously, feeling my heart begin to pound quickly. I have a terrible phobia of snakes, and they've been what I've dreaded most during my time in the arena. Besides death, of course. But when I look down at my feet, I see no snakes.

At first, I don't notice the problem. But then I spot how the mud has almost reached the top of my boots, whereas before it was just up to my ankles. Before my eyes, I sink until the mud reaches my knees and flows into my boots.

When I feel the cool mud fill my shoes is when I begin to panic. I scream and begin trying to run out of the puddle, but the movement makes me quickly drop to my mid-thighs.

"Tristana, stay still!" Vincent shouts at me, but it's difficult to calm down when I'm getting sucked into the ground.

"Keep _still_?" I say shrilly. "Do you see what's happening to me?"

"Yes, but stay still! I'll get you out of there!"

"You'd better!" I shout, but Vincent begins running off in the opposite direction. "Where the hell are you going?" I shout, but he doesn't respond.

Is he ditching me? Is Vincent seriously leaving me to die, even after I saved his life?

I begin trying to escape again, but it just makes me sink to my chest. My arms are still above the surface of the mud, but they aren't much good, since there isn't anything to grab onto. All of the branches are too far above my head, and out of reach. I can't believe Vincent would just leave me to die, after I saved his life.

"Tristana!" Vincent shouts, and suddenly, he runs back toward me, breaking through a wall of vines. He has an especially long, thick vine in his hand, which he throws to me.

I try to grab it out of the air, but it lands in the muck to my right. I quickly grab onto it before the mud can suck it under.

"Do you have a tight grip?" Vincent calls out.

"Yes, now get me out!" I shout. The mud is now up to my chin, and I'm going to be fully submerged at any moment. Vincent begins pulling on the vine, and it takes all of my strength to hold on as I'm pulled out of the mud. Vincent grimaces in exertion as he pulls, but doesn't slow for a moment until I'm back on solid earth.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say. "Thanks for saving me."

"No problem," he mutters. Then, his eyes widen in fear. "Do you have your ruby still?"

I feel my heart drop at the mention of the ruby, which was in my pocket. I nervously pat my leg, but luckily, I can still feel the ruby underneath the clothing and mud.

"Yes," I say, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Okay, good," he sighs. "By the way, the river is right over there," he says, pointing in the direction he ran in to get the vine that saved me.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

She's dead.

Noelani's dead and it hurts me so much. It hurts that I couldn't even hold her hand as she died, or kiss her one last time. Instead, I just ran.

I knew that I couldn't win in a fight against Glorian in Trajan, so I ran. But that hurts me. I couldn't even avenge her. And that hurts.

I _will_ avenge her death, though. I was feeling bad about betraying Glorian until he killed Noelani. We may have ditched him, but we never killed him. I impulsively fired my gun at him, but that was a kneejerk response and it wasn't _Noelani_ who tried to kill him. She didn't deserve to die.

But Glorian does. He deserves to die because he killed Noelani.

I tuck my knees to my chest as I rock on the ground, willing myself not to cry again. I've been crying all day, and now that it's evening, I should probably calm down so I can at least get some sleep.

I'll need to be well-rested if I'm to spend all day tomorrow hunting Glorian.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

I can't believe I lost the gem.

It was my one shot at returning home. Now, I'm going to be forced to try and become Victor - but how am I supposed to possibly beat any of the finalists? Any of the remaining tributes, perhaps with the exception of the twelve-year-old from District 6, would easily destroy me in a fight. But the District 6 boy _did_ get an 8 in training, so perhaps he has some tricks up his sleeve…

I'm wandering through the jungle aimlessly since I don't have much else to do. I'll probably have to find shelter soon, since night is quickly falling. It's almost impossible to see during day, much less night, especially in this section of the arena, where the trees are so dense, they block out almost all sunlight.

I don't remember any cannons today, but it's possible they fired while I was sleeping this morning. So when the Capitol anthem starts, I eagerly look up at the sky, getting only a sliver of a view of the Capitol emblem through the branches overhead. After a moment, it changes to show the image of the District 4 girl, then disappears.

I can't help but let a smile split across my face. With all of the disappointment from yesterday, it's nice to realize that I'm in the Final 8. It's a great accomplishment, especially for someone of my skill level and District. Most girls from District 3 don't make it to the Final 8, especially without allies. It's reassuring.

Plus, they'll interview my family next - probably not my birth family, who disowned me, but they'll undoubtedly interview Ada and Eddie. I haven't had any sponsors for the past few days, but maybe after seeing my daughter, some people in the Capitol will grow sympathetic toward me and send some more gifts my way.

The death of another Career is also nice. It means less physical threats remaining in the arena. While everyone seems like a physical threat to me right now, it's always good to see Careers dwindling down. I watch the girl's picture, hoping for another death that I might have missed, but her image fades, leaving only the black sky.

Oh well. One death is good enough, especially since yesterday we had none.

I continue walking, my mind running with thoughts of Ada and the interviews. I'm so distracted, I almost wander directly into the camp of two tributes.

I catch myself and duck behind a tree right before I enter the small clearing they chose to set up camp in. The District 6 female and the District 7 male are sitting around a dying fire, talking. I sink to my knees, not wanting to risk them hearing me walking away. I'm also a bit curious about what they're talking about.

"I can't believe we made it to the Final 8."

"Yeah. It's funny to think about how we were worried about dying in the Bloodbath after the interviews… eleven days ago?"

"Yeah. It's weird how quickly time passes."

"Really? It's felt like a _really_ long time to me. I'm surprised so few days have passed."

"Ten days is a lot. Especially considering last year, when the Games lasted twelve. If things follow that path, these Games will be over in two days."

"That's true. We could be home in only two days… wow, that's weird to think about. Everything will be so different if we go home."

"Especially for me. You'll just go back to your life - I'll have to deal with fame, and mentoring, and all of the Victor's earnings."

"Yeah, it will suck for you to have a mansion in the Victor's Village and unlimited money."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm. Besides, you know what I mean!"

They're talking like they're both going to live… which means one of them has a gem.

Suddenly, a quote pops into my head; "If you kill the current possessor of the jewel, then you will be the new owner." It's what the inscription said when I first got my sapphire.

I was hoping I wouldn't get blood on my hands, but I know that I'll do what I have to.

My hand tightens around the handle of my knife.

It's not over yet.

* * *

 **Please review! It motivates me 100%. Every review I receive shaves off another day of my procrastination on writing.**

 **The Day 10 poll is on my profile, so please vote!**

 **We finally have our Final 8: Cecelia, Trajan, Glorian, Lennox, Tristana, Axel, Vincent, and Hadley!**

 **Congratulations to Team Shadow, tigeroutsider, santiago. poncini20, Author-Hime, Pierana, Tyquavis, TheNoobyBoy, and Fairytale. Charming for having their tributes make it to the Final 8!**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Tristana Rockett (D6F)  
Sapphire - Nobody**

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)  
10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F)**

 **DAY 9:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 10:**

 **9th: Noelani King (D4F)**

* * *

 **1\. What Hogwarts house would you say each of the Final 8 would be in?**

 **2\. What did you think of Noelani's death?**

 **3\. Who do you think will win?**

 **4\. Who do you _want_ to win (besides your own tribute)?**

 **5\. Do you think Lennox will get another gem?**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Axel/Hadley  
Tristana/Vincent**

 **SOLO:**

 **Cecelia  
Trajan  
Glorian  
Lennox**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 2  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 1  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 1  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	59. Malakai Mavericks III

**District 4**

 **Malakai Mavericks**

* * *

Did I not do enough? Is it my fault that Noelani's dead?

Tiernan assures me it isn't my fault, but I can't help but feel guilty. It was difficult for me to fall asleep when she was _alive_ , but now that she's dead I can't drift off at all. I'm just sitting in bed with my head brewing with thoughts.

I used to hate the mentors who didn't do anything. The ones who immediately disregard their tributes and almost refuse to communicate with them. But now I understand.

I'm not going to become a negligent mentor or anything, but I do understand why some would. It _hurts_ that she's gone, and it's almost enough to make me not want to become attached to any of my future tributes. I don't want to have to deal with this feeling! I don't know how I'll be able to deal with it next year…

Because this is my life now, isn't it? Just me getting transported to and from the Capitol, getting attached to tributes, then having them die because I didn't do enough to help them.

I thought that after I won the Hunger Games, the guilt would be done. I was done spilling blood. But now, I have even more blood on my hands.

I'm not done killing. And that hurts me, because there's nothing I can do about it, just like when I was in the arena. I never really escaped from the 247th Hunger Games, did I? I'm still killing.

I'm still in the inferno.

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **9th: Noelani King (D4F): Stabbed by Glorian Stafford (D2M) - God, this is so hard. This has to be one of the most difficult deaths and I absolutely hate that I'm writing a eulogy for this girl. Noelani was incredible, and her death was especially hard since she was so popular. Being one of the most well-liked tributes, she could have won (or at least survived). Unfortunately, that just didn't happen. I know a lot of people wanted her and Cecelia to survive together, and I was so glad their relationship was so popular. I had the idea for it during Training Day 3 or so, and I honestly began to ship it so much. However, I wasn't sure whether it was a good idea or my soft spot for femslash was deluding me. So I began trying to leave subtle hints about a possible romance in hopes that someone would point it out and agree that they'd be a cute couple. And someone did! (Thank you, Team Shadow). So I went for it, and I got super attached to both of them. I loved the idea of them both surviving, but as the gems started to go out to other tributes, it became less and less likely. I knew that someone had to die at the Career split, and I was really unsure of who to choose. One of the only reasons I ended up killing Noelani was because her submitter has been the only person with two tributes remaining for a while. I was planning on killing off the less popular one, but both Noelani and Lennox are so popular which made it a really difficult choice! But I knew that since one of the Career has to die, Noelani just worked the best. She also shared a problem I faced with Necessity in my last SYOT - for some reason, I completely butchered up their personalities and they became so different from what their original submissions looked like. No matter how much I tried, I just couldn't portray them the right way, and eventually, they were so popular, I was worried that if I tried to change them, they'd end up being suddenly disliked or inconsistent. I just couldn't have her win when I knew I messed up her portrayal so badly (even if it's a stupid, selfish reason that's completely my fault). I** _ **am**_ **glad that her personality didn't become dependent on her missing arm, though. In fact, there were several times when I completely forgot she was missing an arm and I would catch myself referring to her "arms", which became a little stupid. I fixed it every time I noticed it, but there might be a handful of times in this story when Noelani's missing arm magically regenerates for a paragraph XD. Sierra, congratulations on having both of your tributes make the Final 9 (which is quite a feat!). I'm sorry for killing Noelani, but at least Lennox is still pulling through. Thank you for submitting her, because she was one of my favorites and I had a lot of fun with her. And I realize that my eulogies are getting ridiculously long. This is nearly a full page on Google Docs, and it's only one paragraph, so this must be painful to read. I suspect that whoever gets 2nd place will have a full ten pages devoted to them, so I'll apologize in advance XD. RIP Noelani.**

 **\- Lilah**


	60. Day 11: Part 1: Hiding in the Dark

**This is a mostly chill day, so it's a bit short. I also kind of hate this chapter because I was half-asleep when I wrote half of it so I'm a bit concerned it makes no sense, but… nothing too important happens.**

 **I also need to address an issue I've seen (with myself) - I've been terrible when it comes to sponsoring. I haven't updated the sponsor list since the launch, and at this point, it seems so daunting, I'm starting to doubt if I'll ever get around to updating the list. I'm also terrible at getting tributes their gifts. One of the reasons for this is because I don't have a spot in the POV for them to receive it, but the sponsor forms also get lost in all of my PMs and I forget about it. I'm sorry if this has happened to you, because I feel really bad whenever I remember how I forgot to give a tribute their gift.**

 **I don't think I'll be doing a sponsoring system for Feathers, and I'm even considering scrapping it in Rapids. I know that I won't be great at keeping up with it even if I continue with the current sponsoring system. Let me know if you think I should try to pull through with the sponsoring system for the rest of Rapids (it will be coming to a close soon, but not tomorrow or anything). If you think I should, just keep in mind that there's no guarantee I'll be able to keep up with it. Tributes will still get sponsoring gifts, of course, but they'll all be from me and will benefit the plot.**

 **It was easier to have a sponsoring system for Flames, where A, I got roughly three reviews per chapter, and B, I had no plan and was completely flying by the seat of my pants, one chapter at a time. Whenever I got a sponsor gift in Flames, I could add that to the chapter with ease, but here, I have much more of a plan. I don't know exactly what will happen, but I have a basic outline and I usually don't have room for sponsor gifts in it. If a tribute got a sponsor gift at all during this story (especially recently) it was probably because it fit in with what I had planned.**

 **After Flames (where I wrote impulsively) I wanted to write this one with more of a plan, just to experiment with which turned out better. As a new writer, I don't have much of a grasp on what suits me better, so I wanted to try out both strategies. I think Rapids is better for character arcs and stuff, but Flames had the advantage of being more interactive and having the sponsoring system.**

 **Anyway, sorry for ranting - to summarize, sorry for being terrible with the sponsoring system, and please let me know whether you think I should scrap it.**

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

I wake up to a light beeping sound. The moment I recognize the sound, I gasp - it's the unmistakable ringing of a sponsor gift. I sit up, carefully as to not make much noise. I realize that I've almost forgotten where I am - my eyes nervously flicker to the two tributes I've been stalking, but they haven't noticed me. In fact, they're both dead-asleep, pressed against each other to conserve heat.

After realizing that the District 6 girl has the gem, I decided to follow these guys around. I need to kill her, in order to gain control of the gem. Unfortunately, I haven't found an opportunity yet - I suppose now would be a good time, when they're both asleep, but the fact that they both sleep with weapons in hand worries me. If I manage to slit one their throats, the cannon would wake up the other and they might be able to kill me before I get the chance to take _them_ out, as well.

However, since they're so close, I might be able to kill the second before the first's cannon alerts them. I would need to be quick though. I vow to follow through with this plan after looking at my sponsor gift - maybe it's something to help me kill them.

I grab the parachute as it floats down. I've only gotten two other sponsor gifts throughout the Games - which I suppose is impressive, for a girl from District 3 who scored a 5, but considering they're my only source of supplies and I've been here out for eleven days already, it isn't too amazing.

This parachute is larger than the others, though. My first gift contained only a water bottle to get me through the first night, so that parachute was quite small. The second was larger since it gave me a handful of supplies to help my arm, but this one is big. It's about the size of my torso, and I struggle to grab onto it with my one arm, as it's so large. Instead of carrying it, I'm forced to let it sink to the ground before being able to open it.

When I see what's inside, I gasp. I immediately clap my hand over my mouth, eyes shooting over to the pair to see if they heard me. Luckily, they're still asleep.

Inside the box is two cages - each contains a large, black spider about twice the size of my fist. They look menacing, and I'm extremely glad that they were sponsored to me. From past Games, I've learned that any mutts gifted to tributes won't attack the receiver of the gift.

I grab the note sitting on top of one of the cages, and read it carefully.

 _Lennox, the Capitol is growing bored of you. You've done a good job of staying interesting enough to avoid a targeted death, but it's not enough. The Gamemakers will kill you soon, if you don't provide some action now. Send these mutts on the two tributes you're stalking - if they kill them, it_ will _count as your kill and you can get that ruby. - C._

I gulp. I guess this is my chance. Carefully, I lift one of the cages out of the box and set in on the ground. There's a latch on the side that opens the cage, and when it's open, the spiders crawls out onto my arm. My breath catches for a moment, but then I remind myself that it won't hurt me, and I move on to the next cage, which I lift out and open. The second spider also climbs onto my hand.

With the spiders resting on my arm, I gather my supplies in case I need to make a run for it. Carefully, I begin tip-toeing over to the two asleep. It's morning, about 8, so I wouldn't be surprised if either awoke soon. I need to be as silent as possible.

When I'm standing over their sleeping figures, I have a moment of hesitation. Should I really kill them? Would Ada want her Mommy to have blood on her hands?

But it's kill or be killed.

I fling the spiders onto the sleeping tributes; one of the spiders lands on the boy's chest, and the other finds itself on the girl's face. This wakes the girl up. The moment she sees the spider on her nose, she begins screaming. I don't waste any time getting out of here.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

I'm quite lucky I managed to get the Cornucopia during the Career split. As much as I'm sick of this golden horn, it provides safety and protection from the rain that doesn't cease to fall. Plus, I know no sane tribute would dare wander into the Cornucopia as they would the camps of either Cecelia or Glorian, who are sleeping in the jungle.

Glorian probably could have gotten the Cornucopia instead of me, but he didn't try. I don't know why he didn't - we both know I wouldn't risk a fight with him - but he ran off, leaving me the Cornucopia.

I even have a decent amount of supplies - at least enough to get me through another day or two. We didn't have many supplies remaining when Cecelia and Noelani took off, but when Cecelia and Glorian ran, I managed to get all of the stuff Noelani had before the hovercraft came for her.

It's not a lot, but I'm willing to bet good money that I have more than the majority of the remaining tributes. I even have a sword - after eleven days in the arena, I have my weapon of choice. I'm good with spears, but swords are my best weapon and I can finally use one. I took it from Noelani's corpse last night. Unfortunately, Noelani allowed the blade to dull, so now I have to spend all morning sharpening it.

I'm sliding a sharp rock along the edge when I see a vine creeping around the wall of the Cornucopia. I raise an eyebrow, slightly confused. What's going on? Several more vines sneak in, and I jump to my feet. They slide along the ground until they reach me, and begin wrapping themselves around my legs.

"What are these things?" I yell out, slashing my sword down at the foliage around my legs. The sword cuts through them pretty easily, but when a whole lot more vines come into the Cornucopia and tighten themselves around me, I can't cut free. Sheer number overwhelms me, and when a few manage to pull my arm down, I can no longer slice any. The rest wrap themselves around my body, until I'm certain they're going to strangle me.

Why would the Gamemakers do this? Why would they try to kill one of the most interesting tributes this year with a bunch of vines? It doesn't make any sense. They clearly set these to target me - it is any coincidence that they wandered into the Cornucopia.

They stop when they reach my neck, and to my surprise, they don't cover my neck or face unlike they did with the rest of my body. My arms are held at my sides, my hand only barely holding onto the sword. They begin to pull me away from the Cornucopia at a slow speed, dragging me across the muddy field until we're at the edge of the clearing. We're about to disappear into the jungle when I catch a glimpse of the Cornucopia.

It happens quickly - all of a sudden, the interior of the Cornucopia explodes. It's ear-shattering and I hear a ringing in my ears as I watch all of the supplies inside fly across the field, absolutely ruined. The golden horn remains intact, but everything within is destroyed.

 _They've cut off my supplies_ , I realize. Maybe they wanted to make things a bit more difficult for me… but at least they had the decency to get me out of there before exploding it.

I expect the vines to let go of me, now that they've served their purpose of keeping me out of the Cornucopia long enough for the Gamemakers to explode it, but they don't. They drag me deeper into the jungle, until the green of the foliage blocks my eyes and I can't see anything.

I'm 100% vulnerable right now, and it's not a nice feeling.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

I noticed the spider the minute I woke up. The big, furry black arachnid was smack-dab in the center of my face, hovering right over my nose. It took only a second to realize that inches away from my head was another one, this time perched on Vincent's chest. I didn't even think before letting out a giant scream.

The moment my shout pierces the air, Vincent jolts awake. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his spider's pincers come out and bite hit chest, tearing a small hole through his shirt. He yells as well and leaps away from me, batting the spider off. It falls to the ground and scuttles away, but Vincent doesn't seem to notice.

His eyes glaze over and he looks into the jungle, and suddenly he lets out an ear-piercing bellow that shocks me frozen. I don't think I've ever heard Vincent scream before - at least not like that. He dives to his left suddenly, as if dodging something invisible. He screams again, and then runs off into the trees, leaving me alone.

"What? Where are you going?" I shout after him, but he's gone, and the movement from me screaming prompts the spider to bite me on the tip of my nose.

I scream this time as I feel the sharp pinch, then a burning sensation spread from the bite to my entire body. I leap back, knocking the spider off of my face with my hand. Like with Vincent's, it falls to the ground and scurries away, not bothering to bite me again. This unsettles me. In the Hunger Games, mutts never run away _unless their job is done_. That likely means the bite is poison.

I gulp. Ignoring the probability that the bite is poison, I begin wandering off to find Vincent. I don't know why he would leave me, but I can't just let him go off by himself. Maybe he saw another tribute and intended to return to me after taking them out…

He wouldn't just ditch me. Even if I didn't trust him (which I do) he took no supplies with him. Not even his sword, which doesn't reinforce my theory about seeing another tribute. I don't see why he'd leave without a weapon, if he didn't intend on returning. If he is fighting a tribute right now, he might need some help. Without a weapon, he's at a major disadvantage. Luckily, I have my crossbow.

I begin walking in the direction Vincent ran in - it's easy to tell where he went, since he crashed through the foliage, leaving an obvious trail, but the aching from my nose and surrounding skin distracts me. My entire face burns, like there's fire pumping through my veins. Unfortunately, I'm guessing that's not far off from the truth.

 _But there's nothing I can do_. There's no possible way to remove the venom, at least not by myself. Maybe if I find Vincent, we can suck the venom out of each other's wounds. Why did he have to run off? It would have been so much easier if he stayed -

I'm forced off track when my head spins suddenly, as if my brain is a globe, and I lurch off the trail Vincent made. I fall toward a tree, reaching out and grabbing it to keep myself upright. I squeeze my eyes shut and rest my head against the tree for a moment before the feeling of my head spinning fades. When I've overcome my nausea, I reopen my eyes - but this time things feel different. My vision shifts before my eyes and the ground seems to rock back and forth, as if I was on a boat. I sway for a moment, and quickly grab back onto the tree to steady myself.

 _...What is going on?_

Suddenly, someone comes crashing through the bushes behind me. I spin around, reaching for my crossbow, but my hand hesitates when I see who it is.

"Micah?" I ask in a voice that's strangely slurred when I see my eleven-year-old brother rushing through the jungle. What is he doing here? His eyes glaze right over me, suggesting he doesn't see me. "Micah!" I shout again, trying to draw his attention, but he shows no sign of hearing me.

"Tristana!" he yells out in a panicked voice.

"I'm here!" I respond, running over to him, but I forget about the ground rocking and sway violently for a moment before crashing onto the ground. I grab onto a small boulder, and pull myself up, steadying myself. I'm close to Micah now to see the large, green eyes we share, but he still doesn't acknowledge me.

 _Can he not see me?_

I look down, foolishly trying to discover if I'm invisible, but my body is opaque to me.

"Micah?" I ask, less gusto now. I wave my hand in front of his eyes, but they seem to pass right through. A second later, someone else crashes through a set of vines. Micah shields himself for an attack, but his face quickly relaxes when he sees it's his twin, Kelsea.

"Kelsea!" he shouts, rushing over to her and enveloping her in a hug. Kelsea quickly accepts, but her eyes continue to dart around in fear.

"Tristana!" she calls, but at this point, I've given up responding. It's clear they can't see me. They can't really _be_ here, can they? The Capitol wouldn't ship my siblings out to the arena then make me invisible… Perhaps the spider venom has a hallucinogenic effect, and this is all my mind.

 _But they look so real_ …

A third rustle of leaves comes from the bushes, and this time, neither of them looks happy. They take off further into the jungle, and it takes me a moment to get to my feet and run after them. But the swaying makes me much slower, and neither seems affected by it. They take off without me.

"Wait! Wait for me!" I call out, but it's no use. They can't hear me, and I catch up. I fall to my knees, tears streaming down my face.

 _It's all in your head, Tristana… it's all in your head…_

But despite the assurances in my mind, it can't stop the nagging fear that I _am_ invisible and my siblings _are_ in the arena. After all, wouldn't that cruel gesture be something the Gamemakers undoubtedly do?

 _Don't be ridiculous, Tristana. The Capitol can't make you invisible._

Maybe I'm a ghost? That would explain why they can't hear or see me. Maybe the spider killed me, and now I'm dead.

My stream of thoughts is interrupted as the third person comes running up behind me. I tilt my head to see who it is, and my mouth opens with shock. It's my boyfriend, Brent. I had almost forgotten about him, since my mind has had a lot else to deal with these past two weeks. There's no room for romance, especially when it can't help me in the Games.

To my surprise, Brent looks me straight in the eyes. "Hey Tristana," he says, brushing his dark hair out of his face. He reaches out his hand to help me up, and I'm so shocked that he's _here_ and _he can see me_ that I take it. He pulls me to my feet, but suddenly, there's a dagger in his hand. Before I can register what's happening, he pushes it into my stomach.

I gasp in shock as he lets go of my hand, and I immediately drop to the ground. My hands linger over the dagger handle that protrudes from my stomach, still in shock. From my position on the rocking ground, I look up at my boyfriend as he stands above me, a twisted smile on his face.

"Goodnight," he says, and I pass out.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

Hadley hisses as he slaps the side of his neck. I look at him expectantly as he draws his hand away.

"Mosquito," he explains, using the back of his hand to wipe away the slight smear of blood left on his neck. I nod and return to trying to build a fire.

The antidote has mostly healed Hadley from the snake bite, which is quite comforting. He's no longer in danger of dying (from the venom, at least) but it hasn't perked him up completely. The poison has left him fairly weak, and with barely any of the strength he formerly had. He can't run very fast, and his stamina sucks. I'm hoping this is temporary, but there's no way of knowing. Hadley is trying to regain his strength but is struggling.

As I rub the sticks together, I watch Hadley out of the corner of my eye. He's doing pushups in an attempt to rebuild his upper-body muscle but is doing a bad job at hiding his exhaustion. He sees me watching him, offers a small smile, before collapsing to the ground.

"Do you need some help starting the fire?" Hadley asks, wiping the sweat-soaked hair off his forehead.

"I'm fine," I say. I'm about to suggest he take a nap or something, when he clasps his hands to neck again and grimaces. "What?" I ask, concerned.

"My neck!" he mutters, then yelps in pain. "It burns!"

"What are you talking about?" I demand, throwing down the sticks as I run over to him. Hadley thrashes on the ground, holding his neck in pain. "Is it your mosquito bite?"

"I don't fucking know! It just hurts!" he shouts, holding onto his throat. I bite my lip in fear - was the mosquito poison as well? I reach out to comfort him, but as I outstretch my hand, I notice a large mosquito perched on the back of it, sucking my blood. I yelp in panic, immediately crushing the bug.

Hadley suddenly stops moving, and I forget about the mosquito bite on my hand. He looks up at me with glazed eyes, then shifts his vision to look behind me. He lets out a blood-curling scream, which prompts me to do the same and leap away from where I was, spinning around in a circle.

There's nothing behind me. That realization terrifies me when I notice Hadley still staring into the empty jungle, screaming his head off in fear. My scream dies in my throat. Is Hadley hallucinating? Is he going crazy?

"Axel!" he screams, looking around for me.

"Yes?" I ask, rushing over to him, but he doesn't seem to notice me. Instead, he stands up, lurches to the side, and runs off into the jungle. "Wait, where are you going?" I call out, but he doesn't respond, he just runs deeper into the forest. I try to follow him, but I'm forced to stop when my hand suddenly begins to burn.

I yell out and come to a stop, clutching my hand. I look at it for the source of the burning sensation, but all I can see is the small smear of blood from where I killed the mosquito. Yet, it feels like there's fire pumping through my veins. The pain quickly spreads through my arm, through my entire body.

I yell out in pain, and suddenly my head begins to spin. It's as if my brain has come loose and is spinning in a circle. My hands fly up to my head, clutching it. I feel myself fall down, my knee hitting a rock, but I barely acknowledge it.

I open my eyes, but it's difficult to see. The light is quickly disappearing. The arena is darkening as if the Gamemakers have sped up the time, and suddenly night is coming. The arena darkens until I can't even see three feet in front of me.

I let out a whimper as I pull my aching knees to my chest, trying to ignore my spinning head. What's hiding for me in the darkness?

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

He stands in front of me, a sadistic grin stretched across his handsome face. His sword is coated with blood, but I don't know who's. Mine? Any one of his countless victims? He has many, and they all shed blood on that rusty blade. His arena outfit has tears and bloodstains. His previously neat black hair is disheveled, hanging in front of his blue eyes so much, it almost inhibits his ability to see.

As he strolls over to me, I know he didn't want to be a monster. The boy in front of me never wanted to kill, he just wanted a quiet life. And while it isn't his fault that the quiet life was ripped from him, it _is_ his fault that he ripped it from others.

He chased me all the way through the jungle, until we reached the cliff and broken rope bridge. Now, I'm cornered on the edge, only inches from plummetting into the canyon, as he strolls over to me, swinging his sword threateningly.

It's me. I'm staring at a mirror image of myself, the boy I never wanted to become. The monster the Hunger Games has molded me into. The monster that killed Glitter, attacked Trajan, and tried to kill the boys from Nine and Six. I know that none of the things I did were in self-defense. None of them drew the first sword, and I doubt any of them were planning on attacking me.

The boy stands in front of me, still grinning down at me. He grabs ahold of my neck and presses the point of his sword against my throat.

"You're a monster, Vincent," he whispers.

"No," I rasp through the hand around my throat.

"Yes, you are. You know I'm right."

"No," I repeat, but he's right. I'm a monster. The monster that killed Glitter. Despite what I try to convince myself, I'm a terrible person.

Suddenly, my head seems to stop spinning and settles into place. Before my eyes, the mirror version of me fades into nothing. No longer feeling a hand around my throat, I drop to my knees. I hug myself tightly, trying to forbid the hot tears that threaten to spill tears.

I'm a monster. Vincent the Monster, who will never be looked at the same way. If I return to District 7, everyone will fear me. Nobody will respect me. I've always wished for my popularity to fade, but not like this. I don't want to be hated.

But I am, aren't I? I'm hated, because I'm a monster.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

My head aches as I hike through the jungle, but all of the hallucinations are gone. I no longer see my brothers dead anywhere I turn, which is an improvement. Unfortunately, I ran off early to escape the monsters that haunted me while I was under the influence of the venom, so I have no idea where Axel went off to.

I rub the side of my neck where the mosquito bit me. It no longer hurts, but the memory of the burn is enough to make a knot twist in my stomach.

I've decided to go back to where we had set up camp - I'm hoping Axel will be there. Even if he isn't, I'll be able to collect all of our supplies before looking for him. I left all of my weapons back at camp, which worries me. It's very unsettling to walk through the jungle with nothing to protect you.

Searching for Axel isn't helped by the darkness that has set across the sky now that it's nighttime. I can hear the anthem begin, the arena is momentarily bathed in light as the Capitol emblem is shown. I don't bother looking up at the sky, since there were no deaths today. We're still in the Final 8.

I've almost reached camp again when I hear a slight whimpering coming from nearby. I squint, looking at the ground around me, and it doesn't take long for me to find the huddled form of Axel. He's curled up in a ball in the center of some shrubbery, crying. I immediately rush over to him and gently tap on his arm.

He doesn't look up, but stops crying long enough to ask, "Hadley?"

"Yeah," I confirm. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Everything's dark…" he whimpers.

"It's only night. The sun will be up again tomorrow," I assure him, although it's difficult to hide my confusion. Is Axel seriously crying about the night right now? He's always been a bit nervous during the night, and admitted he has a fear of the dark, but nothing like this.

"You don't understand."

"I don't understand what?"

"The monsters. They're hiding in the dark. And they're going to kill me."

* * *

 **It was a bit short, but a lot of the following chapters will be action-packed so I'm planning on this being the last slow day for a while. I know I said I would have the Final 8 Interviews posted before this chapter, but I finished this and I'm only 25% done with the Final 8 interviews, so I decided to post this first. I'm really struggling with the Final 8 Interviews right now. I'm currently intending on posting them next (we're still in the Final 8, after all) but if it continues to be this difficult, I might just skip them. I don't want to spend a really long time on them, because while I think they're beneficial, they're not necessary.**

 **If you're confused about this chapter, let me quickly explain: both the spiders and mosquitos had a venom that caused hallucinations based around some of the tributes' greatest fears. The sun setting very quickly in Axel's POV wasn't real - night came at a regular time, much later in the day, but his fear of the dark caused the hallucinogenic venom to see the night come quickly.**

 **Please review!**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Tristana Rockett (D6F)  
Sapphire - Nobody**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)  
10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F)**

 **DAY 9:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 10:**

 **9th: Noelani King (D4F)**

 **DAY 11:**

 **None.**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Axel/Hadley  
Tristana/Vincent**

 **SOLO:**

 **Cecelia  
Trajan  
Glorian  
Lennox**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 2  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 1  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 1  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	61. Ammeline Former I

**The Capitol**

 **Ammeline Former**

* * *

The moment I see Alex turn into the hallway, I jump into the nearest room, closing the door before he can see me. I'm in some unoccupied office, so I don't need to worry about anyone forcing me out. I crack the door open just a bit, so I can see Alex pass. He doesn't notice me, and neither does his other assistant, Ambrosius Light, who follows behind him, his mouth too busy flapping to notice me.

"The Head Peacekeeper of District 10 is waiting for you in the conference room, as you requested. She claims to have information on the escaped rebels - Satin Davison and his others. Apparently, they were spotted walking through the streets of District 10 a few nights ago. We also have a Peacekeeper claiming that Chance Alector and Dara Bayard attempting to leave the Capitol -"

"Shut your mouth, Light," Alex says sternly. "You're announcing all of this for the whole mansion to hear. We'll discuss it inside the conference room."

I hear them reach the elevator, and when the doors close, I re-enter the hallway. I'm technically still Alex's assistant - I suspect he's only keeping me around to make sure I don't go blabbing about the fact that I saw him kill President Chorley, but he doesn't give me any information. Most of the work I do is just paperwork, and it's never anything of importance.

I've been trying to stay up to date on what's going on, by listening in on his conversations. I don't learn anything from paperwork, unlike I did when Felix was President, so I'm forced to eavesdrop on everything. Fortunately, no one ever seems to notice me unless I make myself known (which I've been choosing to do less and less). There have been several occasions where I've been sitting in Alex's office and he won't notice for hours on end.

I use to find what Felix called, "my forgettable-quality" annoying since it took a lot of effort to advance in my job, but as of late, it's been useful. If Alex has been meaning to kill me (which I doubt, but I'm not positive) he's been forgetting to.

I don't think I've talked to him in a very long time. I no longer see the point. I just do what he tells me, and gain all the information I can.

I press the button for the elevator and begin waiting. I might want to listen in on this meeting… the conference room they're referring to has a maintenance closet directly next to it, and I happen to know you can hear everything they're saying inside the conference room from the closet.

While I'm waiting, Victoria Brade joins me. She's one of Alex's biggest confidants, so I should hate her, but she's one of the only people who acknowledges me, which gives her a special place in my heart.

"Hello, Ammeline," she nods.

"Hi, Victoria," I respond.

"Where are you off to?"

"I'm picking up some files from Blue's office," I lie. She buys it and nods. "What about you?"

"I'm meeting with President Divine and a Peacekeeper from District 10. I can't say anymore, sorry."

"I understand," I nod. I also don't really care, since I know the reason for the meeting and I'll be listening to every word they say.

The elevator doors slide open and Victoria and I step inside. She presses the button for the next floor up, where the conference room is. The doors slide shut and we shoot up to the next floor. The doors quickly open again and we both step out.

"See you later," she smiles, walking into the conference room. I make like I'm headed for Blue's office, but the moment she closes the door, I run over to the maintenance closet and cram myself inside among the cleaning supplies. I shut the door and press my ear against the wall, listening carefully.

"So you spotted Satin in District 10?" I hear Alexandros ask.

"Not me personally, but we received multiple tips from citizens when five nights ago, they spotted Satin Davison and two others walking through the District at night. From descriptions, we suspect the others to be Cooper Sharlock and James Blacksworth."

"Where did they go?"

"We don't know."

"Are they still in District 10?"

"We don't know that either."

"Well, send out a search party anyway. We'll also send some Peacekeepers from Eleven and Four to search their Districts in case they've migrated over there since then. They can't have gone any farther than that. We'll find them."

* * *

 **This chapter was going to have more, but I ran out of inspiration and I was already tired from writing Day 12, so this is it!**

 **Don't forget to review!**

 **\- Lilah**


	62. Day 12: Part 1: Shed Some Blood

**District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

Yesterday, no cannons fired. It was greatly disappointing to know that even despite my sponsor gift, I couldn't secure any kills and the stone is still in the girl's hands. I'm hoping that the spiders provided at least enough excitement for the viewers that the Gamemakers will keep me around for a bit longer. Perhaps they think that was just a taste of what's about to come from me, and I'll be causing action in the arena left and right before long.

I definitely can't promise big moves of any sort for certain, but I suspect that now I'm right in the middle of the arena again, I won't have such an easy time.

After setting the spiders upon the girl and boy, I ran off, hoping the spiders would kill them and I could return later for the jewel. However, no cannons had rung out after a few hours, and I returned to the same spot in hopes they'd be laying there, dying. Neither was there, but all of the supplies were laid out on the ground with the exception of the girl's crossbow and gem. Despite my initial disappointment, I was pleased with my array of supplies, and I took the most useful items. I left only an empty satchel (I transferred all of its contents into the other) and the boy's sword. I had wanted to take it with me, but it was heavy and I couldn't use it, especially with only one arm.

I've been trying to find the girl again, but I haven't been able to. I have no idea where she went, so I'm just hoping I somehow stumble upon her at this point. My only hope is someone doesn't kill her before me.

I sit perched in a tree, taking a long sip from one of my water bottles. My quick tally of supplies provided me with enough to keep me moderately comfortable for a few days. It's by no means plentiful, but after having nothing for so long, it feels luxurious. It's also comforting to know that it's unlikely anyone else has a lot - except maybe the Careers, but they had to have worn down their supplies by now and they weren't granted that much to begin with.

I start when Leandros Winthrop's voice booms throughout the arena.

"Tributes! I understand that many of you are beginning to feel the wear of hunger and thirst now that we are reaching the two-week mark. At only the Final 8, Leda and I decided it was time to shake things up a bit."

 _A feast_ , I decide, without much surprise. I've been expecting a feast to occur ever since we entered the Final 10, so it was about time. Especially since we had no deaths yesterday.

"Contrary to what I'm guessing you're thinking, there will _not_ be a feast. At least, not today. Today we've decided to a few mutts upon all of you - Leda has predicted at least two deaths from the muttations, so this event with likely launch us even closer to the finale. None of you, no matter where you are or what condition you're in, will be spared. Today, everyone will suffer. May the odds be ever in your favor."

When Leandros finishes his announcement, I gape at the sky in shock. No feast? That wasn't what I expected… usually, the feast occurs around this time, when the Capitol is itching for blood and a Victor. But I suppose sending muttations upon tributes will have a similar result. What did Leandros say? They expect _two_ deaths?

Unfortunately, I feel like my cannon will be one of the two they expect to ring out today.

I've barely managed to pack up my things when I hear a rustling from the brush below me. I freeze, unsure whether it's a tribute or one of the muttations they sent out. I hold my breath, watching the ground as someone emerges from the shrubbery.

At first, I think it's a tribute. From this height, I can only see the top of their head and the yellow of their jacket. Knowing that the color corresponds with the District, I scan my brain in hopes of placing the tribute. It doesn't take me too long to remember which District wears yellow - after all, I'm dressed in it.

Why would another tribute be wearing yellow, when it's for District 3 and Nikola is dead -

The moment I place things together, the tribute looks up at me and I'm seeing the dead face of Nikola Allegra. He glares, and then his pale, colorless features contort into a wicked smile that turns my blood to ice. When I've regained my senses, I swing the satchel over an arm and begin scaling down the tree with my knife clutched between my teeth. There's no use waiting up in the tree - the best I can do is try to fight my former District partner.

I'm hoping he's it. I'm hoping the Gamemakers won't send any more tributes after me. I think I can fight Nikola, even with a missing arm. He doesn't even have a weapon, which gives me hope. Nonetheless, I feel a churning in my gut as I hop off the tree, ready to fight.

I stick my landing, drawing my knife immediately. Nikola has patiently waited at the foot of the tree for me, and is ready when I lunge at him, slicing my blade in an arc that skims his stomach, even though he jumps away. Despite the decent gash on his skin, he doesn't bleed. He barely seems to acknowledge the cut in his stomach.

I only now notice the bolt sticking out of his chest. There's only a small stain of blood on his shirt, indicating he died quickly. I wasn't at the Bloodbath, so I previously had no idea how he died. I was only alerted of his death when his pictured showed in the sky that first night. I didn't feel much sadness then - I didn't allow myself to talk with him much during the pre-games, not wishing to create a bond with him, so when I saw his face in the sky, it brought me no more sadness than the others. Well… maybe a _bit_ more, considering he was a touch of home and if I didn't survive, I would have liked him to, but I couldn't really afford to feel that way.

Now, I feel sad. Or if not sadness, guilt and regret that I didn't initially care. After all, no matter how much I ignore it, Nikola was the one I talked with most before entering the arena, and he was the only hint of District 3 I had in this damn arena other than the bracelet I wear around my wrist.

But that doesn't stop me from slamming my knife blade into his skull when he runs at me, fists raised. After I yank the knife out, he crumples to the ground, dead… again. I wait for a minute, worried he might rise, but he doesn't. Satisfied, I take a step back.

Was that it? Was that the challenge that was supposed to bring about two deaths?

I wait a moment longer, wondering if there's a trick, but nothing happens. Shrugging in satisfaction, I turn around.

If seeing Nikola smile chilled my blood, it's nothing compared to what stands behind me. A tall boy with scars on his face stands staring at me with his signature sadistic grin etched on his face. Despite the dagger sticking out of his stomach, he stands proudly. Dennis Fielder is as terrifying as ever, and I can't help but let out an ear-piercing scream as he takes a step toward me.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

It's my worst nightmare.

One by one, the people I've slaughtered emerge from the brush, their clothes in tatters and blood caking their skin. First is the boy from District 12, his skull sloping from where I slammed the rock into it. Dried blood cakes his face and neck, but that doesn't stop him from grinning maniacally at me, revealing blood-stained teeth.

"Remember me, Trajan?" he asks in a gravelly voice as he steps towards me. "You don't know my name, do you? You killed me, without even bothering to learn my name. Without even bothering to acknowledge the fact that I'm _human_. Not one of your sheep."

Next is the girl from District 8, Linen, who crawls toward me from under a bush. There's a wide hole in her chest from where I drove my spear, and her indigo jacket has turned red from the blood. She drags herself across the ground at a quick pace, no longer having use of her legs.

"Do you still feel proud about killing me?" she inquires. "A crippled thirteen-year-old… are you still impressed with yourself? I know you bragged to Lucretius about murdering me, even though I couldn't even fight back. Not that it mattered. I was still much weaker than you. Are you proud?"

Finally, Lucretius Marlo pokes his head out from behind a tree, smiling with wild eyes. My eyes immediately drift to the large puncture wounds in his side, but the green tint of his blood makes me sick and I move my vision back up to meet his face - a mistake. His colorless face is contorted in a grisly smile.

"It's your fault I died, isn't it? You were tasked with sucking out the poison. Did you purposefully do a terrible job, or were you just incompetent? Either way, the poison pumped through my veins because of _you_. Do you accept that, or are you too much of a coward to? Are you just lying to yourself?"

I don't know what to do as the three begin lurching toward me, walking with a murderous tone to their smiles. I take an anxious step back before turning on my heel and running away. Fighting them seems foreign - I can't do that.

 _Look at you, Trajan. You're running from your problems. Only sheep do that. You're a sheep now, aren't you?_

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

My grip around the sword tightens and I nervously lick my lips as my eyes dart around the cave. I haven't encountered any of the mutts yet, despite it being noon already. The mutts must be very dangerous, if the Gamemakers are predicting two deaths at their hands.

I found this cave last night, and I've been camped out in it ever since then. It's nice to have a space to relax in, even if I haven't actually done much relaxing inside. I've just been waiting for the muttations to come for me, so I've barely taken my eyes off of the cave entrance.

Fortunately, the cave is small so I just needed to place simple snare near the entrance and voila - I have a trap for any mutts that enter. Despite this safety net, I remain nervous and don't allow myself to do anything other than watch the door - there's not much else I can do, anyway.

I hear a twig snap outside and sit up straight, ears perked up. It's either another tribute or the promise muttation - more likely the latter. When I see a dark figure enter, I jump to my feet, sword ready to swing.

Before I can see what (or who) it is, they step straight into my snare and are jolted up, leg hanging from a rope attached to the ceiling.

They dangle for a moment, slightly swinging, but I don't approach. Because I've recognized them. The blue jacket, the auburn hair, and of course - only one arm. It's Noelani.

I gasp, unable to conceal a small sob as I look watch her swing from side to side. She's a mutt - she must be! But what if she isn't? What if she's actually alive? I should help her, shouldn't I?

I approach slowly, my sword lowered. My free hand reaches up to cover my gaping mouth. Upside down, she spins slowly until she faces me. I'm reaching to let her down when all of a sudden, her face stretches into a manic smile that would never cross the face of the girl I loved. I jump back immediately, drawing my hand away as she starts reaching for me, rotted hand grasping at my jacket. It encloses around the white leather, and I yelp, automatically swinging my sword down at her hand.

The sword cuts right through, and the hand is severed, dropping away from her wrist. There's no blood, but that almost makes it worse since I can see all of the tendons and veins and flesh and muscle and bone inside her wrist. I gag, backing up. I just cut off Noelani's hand…

 _No!_ It wasn't Noelani. I have to remind myself of that. This is just the mutt. Nonetheless, it makes my heart wrench when I look at the smile on her face and her severed hand. I cover my eyes when I step forward to behead her. I don't want to watch her head leave her body.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

Tristana looks at me nervously as we hear footsteps approach us.

"What should we do?" she whispers.

"Get behind me and notch your crossbow," I order, and she complies with no reluctance. I get my sword ready. I found Tristana early this morning, to my relief. I was concerned I'd lost her after being chased away by… myself. Moments after we found each other, the announcements about the mutts were made. We've been expecting this moment all day, but that doesn't remove the fear from my heart.

There's a veil of vines hanging from a tree in front of us, and footsteps are coming from directly behind it. I know any second, the mutts will break through, ready to kill us.

I'm proved correct when a second later, two people push aside the vines and step into my line of vision. It takes a moment for me to place them, but I recognize them as the Sprucen Willes and Zaira Quentin, the former tributes for my District. I know both of them to be dead - but yet, they stand in front of me with scary grins on their faces. Zaira has a small gunshot hole in her chest, which has stained her arena clothing with a bit of blood. Willes, on the other hand, has several bloody stab wounds covering his neck and upper chest, which has absolutely _caked_ his dark green sweater in blood. Neither seems fazed by these grisly wounds, though, they just stare at me with smiles on their faces.

I'm about to tell Tristana to shoot when she lets out a blood-curling scream. I spin around, forgetting about the District 7 pair, and see three girls standing on the other side, who I think are Tristana's former allies.

One of them, who must be Yael, has a deep slash along her neck - a bloody smile from where Rachel slit her throat. Next to her is the charred figure of a small girl who can only be Arabella Cantros. She's the worst to look at - she's unrecognizable, skin burnt to a crisp and full chunks of her flesh missing. It's absolutely sickening, and I feel bile rising in my throat. Tristana's sobbing as she looks at her.

The last girl, Rachel, has a dent in her skull from where Tristana struck her with a rock. She's the first one to take a step forward, which causes Tristana to scream again. Even I feel like letting out a scream, but I restrain myself. Screaming will just distract me, and I need to stay focused if I want to survive -

My train of thought is cut off as I take a blow to the side of my head and I'm knocked to the ground.

"Vincent!" I hear Tristana yell out, but it's difficult for me to focus. My head feels fuzzy with an ache at my temple and I can feel warm, sticky blood trailing down my ear.

I look up, my vision starting to clear, and I see Willes standing over me, grinning wickedly. A moment later, the face of Zaira appears over my head and before I can react, she stops her boot down onto my face.

I scream as I feel my nose begin to gush blood. I try to get back to my feet, but Willes kicks me in the side, knocking the wind out of me.

I hear Tristana scream, and I poke my watering eyes open enough to see her get carried away by her former allies. I try to run after her, getting to my knees, but I'm stopped as Zaira sends a swift kick between my legs. I fall to the ground in pain, temporarily crippled. The pain doesn't get a chance to subside before someone grabs onto my black hair and yanks my head back sharply, bringing me back to my knees.

I feel Willes grab my face, one hand on the top of my head and the other holding on my chin. Through all of the pain rushing through my body from multiple injuries, I manage to come to a realization - _he's about to snap my neck_.

The panic from realizing I'm about to die is what prompts me to finally unsheath the dagger attached to my belt (I dropped my sword a long time ago) and swing it in an upward arc to the person behind me. It embeds itself somewhere in Willes' chest, and I feel the hands slacken before he drops the ground.

I still feel woozy from all of the injuries inflicted upon me, but don't allow myself to relax and try to recover. Instead, I wrench the dagger free and jump back to my feet. I stumble for a second, legs feeling weak, but I don't fall. I see Zaira smiling at me a few yards away, not caring about Willes' (second) death. I take a moment to wipe the blood gushing over my mouth from my nose before walking toward her with my dagger in hand.

Zaira steps forward, fists ready to attack. She sends a well-aimed punch at my stomach. I try to slash the dagger at her, and skim her forehead, but it doesn't stop the fist from sinking into my gut, making it hurt even more than it already did. I groan and take a step back. Zaira doesn't seem to care about the fact that the skin on her forehead is split open. I suppose she can't feel pain.

Zaira takes another step toward me, but this time, when I race at her, she doesn't get to punch me before I thrust my dagger into her chest. She crumples to the ground after I yank it free, dead (again).

Sighing in relief, I place my hands on my knees to give myself a moment of rest. I don't want to sit down, because I'm worried I won't want to get up. And I know I now have to find Tristana to help her out. But I can allow myself just a taste of recovery to feel better, even if just a little bit.

The pain hasn't subsided much after a minute, but I still stand straight again and glance in the direction Tristana was dragged in. I quickly tuck the dagger back into my belt and pick my sword back up before beginning to jog in her direction.

I'm stopped by _another_ person who comes stepping out of the trees. It's none other than Glitter Monique, her headless corpse holding the grinning head by the hair. She looks up at me from the severed face, her head swinging from side to side. To my disgust, the corpse chooses to attack me by swinging the head at my face, and the heavy skull hits the side of my face.

It hurts, but the skin provides a bit of cushioning. Nonetheless, I stumble to the side, seeing stars for a moment. However, the stars quickly fade and I swing my sword at her, sticking it in her stomach.

She crumples to the ground and I jog on. I need to find Tristana. She had the misfortune of getting three tributes at once, and with no melee weapon, I fear for her life.

Luckily, her former allies made no effort to cover up their tracks when dragging her deeper into the jungle, and it's easy to follow the path they constructed. It's not long before I reach the first body.

The charred form of Arabella lies in the center of the path, a silver bolt sticking through what used to be her eye. I look away, but not in time. The bile rises in my throat again at the sight of her, and I can't help but vomit a bit. I reach for a nearby tree and hold onto a branch to keep me steady while I retch bile. The lack of food has made it so all I'm throwing up is stomach acid, which burns my throat.

When the nausea fades, I groan and wipe my chin with my bloody sleeve. I must look disgusting right now - bruised, cut, and bloodied face with bile and saliva coating my chin. But I shouldn't worry about my appearance - I never have, so why bother now?

I quickly continue down the path, being careful not to look at Arabella again. I find Yael by the foot of a tree a little farther on, several bolts peppering her chest.

"Tristana!" I yell out.

It takes a moment, but I eventually hear a "Vincent!" echoing through the jungle. I run in the direction of the voice, only veering off the path a bit. While running in the direction of her voice, I hear a scream pierce the air. Tristana again.

I speed up my pace, shouting her name again. This time I'm met with no response. Terrified something horrible has come of her, I run at top speed, not worrying about any roots I may trip on. She can't be dead - no, a cannon would have fired. But what if she's been knocked out? And she's bleeding out at this very moment.

"Tristana! Tristana!" I scream my throat raw, but she still doesn't respond. I pump my arms even faster, and it's not long before I come sprinting into a small clearing where two figures duel.

I skid to a halt, immediately recognizing one of the figures as Tristana after seeing a purple blur of her jacket and the blonde flash of her hair. I slide across the ground, scampering back to my feet as quickly as possible. Rachel has the upper hand, easily sending punches in Tristana's direction. Tristana has lost her crossbow, so she's forced to fight hand-to-hand, which has never been something she's excelled at.

I watch as she gets punched by Rachel many times, and all of her punches are dodged. I rush up behind Rachel, who doesn't even notice me until I slam my sword against her neck, decapitating her. Rachel falls to the ground immediately, leaving Tristana to slide down the trunk of a tree, bruised and bloodied. She pants as she raises her hand to her nose, tentatively feeling the blood gushing from it.

"Are you okay?" I ask, concerned. I rush over to her side as she nurses it, holding a sleeve to her face to staunch the flow of blood she nods.

"Yeah," she says. "Thanks for saving me. I guess _I'm_ now the one indebted to _you_. You've saved my life twice, and I've only saved yours once."

"I'm no longer keeping track," I shrug. Tristana smiles to herself. Unable to help myself, I kiss her softly on the cheek. She spins her to look at me in shock, but I lean against the tree nonchalantly and begin wiping the blood off my nose. It's stopped bleeding, and doesn't feel broken, which is a relief. I'm about to ask Tristana how her nose feels, when she leans over and quickly kisses me on the lips.

She pulls away quickly, also leaning against the tree nonchalantly. I feel my face turn red and a smile creeping up my face. Glancing at her out of the corner of my eyes, I can see her face is bright red as well.

"Maybe -" my voice comes out as a squeak, and I quickly clear it. "Maybe we should start building a shelter."

"Yeah," Tristana agrees, and we get to work. It's awkward, of course, but by no means unpleasant.

* * *

 **District 9**

 **Hadley Moreau**

* * *

Axel and I aren't surprised when we see the mutts emerged, but that doesn't mean we aren't terrified. The two people that emerge from the trees are Kade Anderson and Savanna. I gasp when I see them - I haven't seen either since the Bloodbath. Savanna has a large wound in her chest from where the spear hit her and Kade… I gulp, feeling sick. The left side of his face is blown away from when I shot him.

These grisly wounds don't stop either from smiling at Axel and me, and don't stop them from beginning to walk toward us. Hadley whimpers as he takes a step back. I lick my lips nervously, my hand tightening around the gun in one hand and the switchblade in the other.

Despite their initially slow pace, they suddenly charge at us. Kade at me, and Savanna at Axel. Axel screams and takes off, running through the jungle and away from Savanna. I try to follow him, but before I can, Kade swings his fist at my face and somehow knocks me into a tree.

I slam into it, crumpling to the ground, groaning. Both the gun and switchblade fall from my hands, so I'm left defenseless when Kade grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks my head back, nearly snapping my neck. He drags me back until I'm on my back, then wraps his arm around my neck and begins _tightening_.

I begin coughing and choking as my airway is cut off, but I can't get anywhere. He doesn't release, despite my desperate clawing at his arm. My overgrown fingernails are quite sharp, but he doesn't respond to the pain the scratches must bring. He barely seems to notice it, even when I'm ripping out full chunks of skin.

My skull begins pounding for oxygen, but I can't get any. Spots begin to cloud my vision.

What am I doing? If I die, Axel will die as well. Savanna must be slaughtering him right now. She was never particularly strong, but this isn't Savanna. This is a mutt, and I'm sure the Gamemakers designed _this_ version of Savanna to have enough strength to kill Axel.

I don't want Axel to die. I've come to think of him as a brother. My brothers in District 9 aren't biologically my siblings, but we grew up together and I'd still do anything for them. I didn't grow up with Axel, but the feeling is the same.

I feel my thoughts begin to fade as my vision darkens. This is the end of me… I'm dying.

All of a sudden, Kade's grip slackens. He drops me to the ground, where I lay, gasping for air. I hear a thump as he falls to the ground behind me, but it takes a moment before I can look at him. When I finally turn around, I see him lying on the ground, completely still, with a dart embedded deep into his eye.

My mouth gapes open as I spin around, looking for my savior. And standing a few yards away, I see the silhouette of a small boy facing me. Axel walks over with his head held high despite the tears on his cheeks, and helps me to my feet.

"Are you okay?" he asks nervously, and I nod. My jaw is still hanging open. Maybe… maybe Axel isn't as weak as I presumed. He might be stronger than I am. The thought is nice, but it also scares me a bit - because if he's stronger, then I can't protect him and everything's out of my hands.

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

It isn't a tribute I see when a person emerges from the bushes. It isn't anyone from this arena - it isn't anyone I even thought the Gamemakers _knew_ about. In fact, I didn't think any remembered him except for me.

It's Gonzalo who steps into the clearing, not how I've imagined him. He's my age again - he's not the young boy murdered in the Victor's house all those years ago, this is how he would be if he had survived - tall, muscular, wavy golden hair reaching his shoulders. This is how he would be if his life wasn't stolen from him.

The logical part of me knows this isn't actually Gonzalo standing in front of me. That Gonzalo perished years ago, and even if by some miracle he came back from the dead, why would he be in this arena? But that doesn't stop me from wanting to go over and hug him.

I stop myself before I can walk toward him, but I'm tempted. I just have to remind myself this isn't the kid I was in love with - the one I thought I lost. I'm supposed to kill him - that much is obvious. Otherwise, why would the Gamemakers send him here? He's not here to help me, he's the mutt that's supposed to kill me.

But can I really kill Gonzalo without feeling broken inside?

 _You already feel broken inside, don't kid yourself, Glorian._

My eyes begin to get misty, but I will myself not to cry. Instead, I reach for the sword tucked into my belt and unsheath it. Gonzalo doesn't respond to this motion, he just stands in front of me with a blank look. All of a sudden, the corners of his mouth lift into an unnatural smile.

"Don't… why are you smiling?" I demand, my voice cracking on the last word. Sometimes mutts talk - Gonzalo doesn't, though. He just begins walking toward me, hands lifted to punch.

I automatically back up - I really don't want to kill Gonzalo, even if it isn't actually him, but it seems necessary. Gonzalo suddenly leaps at me, sending a fist toward my face. I don't have time to dodge, so his knuckles crash into my teeth and knock me backward.

I stumble to a stop, the coppery taste of blood filling my mouth. I quickly use my tongue to probe my teeth, making sure they're all intact. To my relief, none have been knocked out.

I look up at Gonzalo, but it's not long before he sends another punch my way. This time, I see it coming and move my head out of the way in time. However, I don't see his leg swiftly kicking me in the side. It isn't too painful, but it knocks me off balance and allows Gonzalo to tackle me to the ground - which _is_ painful.

Gonzalo's hands wrap around my neck before I know what's going on, and suddenly I can't breathe. It doesn't help that the wind was knocked out of me when I crashed to the ground and never got a chance to regain my breath. I begin scratching at his hands the way Cecelia's scratched at mine, but he doesn't seem to notice the pain, making the self-defense ineffective.

I turn my head enough to see my sword lying not too far away. I reach for it, but it's just out of reach. I stretch my arm a bit farther, and this time, my fingers brush along the blade. I just need to be a bit closer…

I thrash a bit and Gonzalo doesn't let go - but I have shifted our positions enough for me to reach the sword. Black spots are appearing in my vision - I'm going to pass out soon, and likely never wake up. My fingers enclose around the blade and I swing the sword at Gonzalo's head. The butt of the sword hits his temple and he's knocked away from me. His fingers finally loosen and I back up, tearing free of his grasp.

Gonzalo hits the ground, but before he can get up, I grab the handle with my other hand and slam the blade into his stomach. There's an awful squishing sound, but he doesn't react to the pain. He starts to get up, but I hit him in the stomach again, and again, and again, until he stills and shows no sign of being alive. Not that he ever was.

I back up from his corpse, tears springing to my eyes. I only now realize the pain in my right hand. I look down at my fingers where I grabbed the sword blade and see a deep slash along the fingers. I wince as I try bending them, but they refuse to bend. I curse - I must have severed some tendons on my dominant hand, which won't help me. I use my teeth to tear a strip of fabric off my shirt and I wrap it around my hand. It's not bleeding too heavily.

I leave the body of Gonzalo, not wanting to look back. I exit the clearing and quickly take a seat on a nearby fallen tree. The moss makes a comfortable seat, but it still isn't a great place to sleep for the night. I don't really have any other choice, though, because it's become too dark to search for a better location.

I don't think I'll be able to sleep soon, but I lay down anyway, wrapping my arms around me. The nighttime doesn't have much chill, so it's still warm and sticky out. For a while, the nights were slightly chilly, but not today. It's definitely not ideal sleeping conditions, but at least I don't have to worry about hypothermia.

The Capitol anthem begins, and I eagerly look up at the sky. I don't remember any cannons, but perhaps I just missed them. After all, it's difficult to believe everyone has survived. But when the Capitol emblem fades, the anthem shuts off and only a dark sky is shone. I groan. We're _still_ in the Final 8.

"Tributes!" my ears perk up at the sound of Leandros Winthrop. "As you have just seen, none of you died today despite all of the muttations. This will not do - all of us are getting restless."

 _You're not the only ones,_ I think, _I'm so sick of this arena._

"To remedy this situation, we've decided it's about time for a feast. Tomorrow at noon, the Cornucopia will be restocked with one bag for each of you. The supplies inside have been carefully selected based on your individual needs. You can take whatever bag you like, but remember that it will put a target on your back. I'm sure some of you are considering not attending - this is not allowed. Attendance is _mandatory_. If you aren't in close vicinity of the Cornucopia at noon, you will have no chance of living. Your tracker has an explosive feature, so you will die immediately. May the odds be ever in your favor… and shed some blood for us."

When I'm certain he's done talking, I lie back down. It looks like I won't get much rest tonight - I'll have to wake up early tomorrow if I want to get to the Cornucopia in time. I'm guessing my bag will mostly be filled with food - perhaps some medicine for my hand. That would be nice, since I'm not great at fighting with my left hand.

It will be difficult trying to get the medicine, though. After all, I have plenty of people after my blood.

For the first time in the arena, I'm very certain that tomorrow I will die.

* * *

 **There's a new poll for Day 12!  
**

 **Please review!**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Tristana Rockett (D6F)  
Sapphire - Nobody**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)  
10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F)**

 **DAY 9:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 10:**

 **9th: Noelani King (D4F)**

 **DAY 11:**

 **None.**

* * *

 **ALLIANCES:**

 **Axel/Hadley  
Tristana/Vincent**

 **SOLO:**

 **Cecelia  
Trajan  
Glorian  
Lennox**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 2  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 2  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 0  
Tristana Rockett (D6F) - 1  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 1  
Hadley Moreau (D9M) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	63. Furr Pollock I

**District 10**

 **Furr Pollock**

* * *

When I see Dakota sitting on the couch at 4 in the morning, I'm immediately concerned. I know I wasn't able to sleep, but that isn't unusual. I'm an insomniac, while Dakota usually manages to get a solid seven hours of sleep each night. When she wakes up in the middle of the night (or not able to sleep at all) it's a cause for concern.

"What's wrong?" I ask, immediately changing my course from the kitchen (where I intended to get a cup of herbal tea) to the couch. Dakota has her arms wrapped around her legs, chin resting on her knees as she watches the Hunger Games Live. She doesn't respond to me.

I quickly glance at the television (it's currently showing Glorian Stafford walking toward the Cornucopia) before sitting down next to her. Dakota's eyes flicker over to me for a moment, but other than that, she does nothing to acknowledge my presence. It's quite unlike her.

"Why are we still here, Furr?" she finally asks, sighing. I look at her, surprised.

"In the Capitol? Well, you said we should stay to support the other mentors. I wanted to go home, but -"

"Not in the Capitol. In Panem. As Victors. What are we doing?"

"We're… we're mentoring?" I respond, still confused by her questions.

"Nevermind," she sighs.

"No, tell me!"

"Well… why aren't we doing anything? What are we accomplishing? All we do is mentor tributes, then go home and wait out another year until we can mentor them again. What's the purpose?"

"We don't really have a choice," I shrug. "I'd rather be elsewhere, but what can we do? Ever since you were Reaped, we've been puppets of the Capitol, but it's not like we can sever the string. If we do, it means death. We just have to… go along with the system. We have to listen to them and live our lives the way _they_ want, otherwise we won't have a life at all."

"But… what if the Capitol wasn't in control?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if the Capitol didn't control us because they no longer had any power? What if the puppetmaster dies?" Dakota asks, looking at me with bright eyes. I'm starting to get concerned - this type of talk can lead to danger, if anyone is listening.

"The question's irrelevant, Dakota," I say slowly. "Because the Capitol _has_ power and no one else has enough to overthrow them."

"If enough people join together, they'll have enough power to overthrow them," Dakota reasons.

"What are you talking about?" I demand. "Dakota, this is dangerous territory. Are you trying to start a rebellion or something? Because you're just going to get yourself killed."

"I suppose not," Dakota sighs. "But at least then, I'd have a purpose."

I frown, hugging myself tightly. All of a sudden, I feel very cold. There's a squirming in my gut, as if I know something bad is going to happen. But I dismiss the notion and glue my eyes to the television, watching Axel Woodleigh wake up. He's probably the tribute I'm rooting for most at the moment - him and Hadley. Of course, I have a special spot in my heart for Tristana, since she was allied with Arabella (my tribute), but I still can't help but root for Axel.

To my surprise, I suddenly hear the ding of the elevators. I sit up, looking at the hallway. I don't know who would be entering our floor at 4 AM… perhaps Renee went for a midnight stroll and is returning now. It doesn't seem likely, but I can't think of any other possibility.

A loud crash comes from the hallway, and the first thing I think is that Renee's drunk - it actually seems _extremely_ likely that she went out partying in the Capitol now that she no longer has any tributes to worry about. This decision settles my mind, and I settle back down into the couch. It's just Renee.

But the first person to emerge into the hallway is not Renee. It's a Peacekeeper with a gun aimed in our direction, and he's quickly flanked by two others.

"What's going on?" Dakota asks nervously, standing up, but the Peacekeepers don't hesitate before running in and grabbing her arm.

"Whoa!" I shout, jumping to my feet. They start trying to drag Dakota away, but she's not going down without a fight. She kicks and thrashes around, and breaks free of the guards for a second only to be recaptured immediately.

What's going on? My mind can barely grasp these sudden turn of events. Is this because they heard Dakota talking about rebelling? That was quick… it seems almost impossible that they'd find out this quickly, but it seems like the only solution.

"Furr!" Dakota screams as they begin pulling her toward the elevator, and it's my name that finally snaps me into action. I grab a vase of flowers sitting on the coffee table and charge at the Peacekeepers, who are almost to the hallway. Before they can block, I slam the vase into one of their heads.

Unfortunately, they're wearing helmets and don't seem to feel anything.

"Knock him out!" one of them shouts. "We need to get out of here!"

There's no time to run before one of them yanks on my elbow and pulls a syringe out of his pocket. I can barely process what's happening before they slam the needle into my arm and inject some kind of liquid into my veins.

"Dakota…" I manage to whisper before everything goes dark and I slump to the ground.

* * *

 **I didn't expect this to be out so quickly, but hey, I'm not complaining! Unlike many of my other Capitol chapters, I wrote this** _ **before**_ **the Games chapter, so don't be expecting Day 13 to be posted immediately following this. I still have a bunch of it to write.**

 **If you don't remember from Dara's chapter on Day 2 (let's be honest, there's no way you do) Dakota Pollock was mentioned to be one name ahead of Dara. She's finally been captured by the Peacekeepers… which also means that Dara is next.**

 **I tend to forget that I'm the only one with lots of knowledge about these mentors. I have backstories and personalities and plans for each one (some more than others), and many have barely been introduced. You may remember I had a story a few months back where I was planning on writing a one-shot of each Victor in my universe (from the 160th Hunger Games onward) but I never updated after the first chapter. I was curious to know if you guys would be interested in me restarting that, probably hopping around from each Hunger Games to hit the more relevant and interesting Victors (which would help my motivation). Let me know!**

 **Don't forget to review! I always appreciate constructive criticism (or constructive compliments, for any Office fans). Even if you don't have anything to say, it's nice to write even a very short review to let me know that you guys actually read these chapters.**

 **I also just realized I forgot to put the Day 12 poll on my profile, so it's there now! It's kind of random because I didn't have any questions about Rapids but I tried to keep it Hunger Games-related...**

 **\- Lilah**


	64. Day 13: Part 1: Monsters We've Become

**District 6**

 **Tristana Rockett**

* * *

"Remember our plan?" Vincent inquires gruffly as we trudge through the forest. I can tell we're getting closer to the Cornucopia because the trees have become sparser, allowing the sun to light our way. It's morning, early enough to see where we're going, but not late enough that I'm worried we won't make it in time.

"Yep," I confirm in a small voice that probably doesn't mask my fear.

"Let's go over it to make sure we're on the same page."

"Okay," I say, even though I'm sure we both know exactly what to do. I suspect Vincent thinks I'm going to stray from the plan, which isn't true. As much as I dislike the plan, I know it's the best thing we can do to play to our strengths and has the best survival rate for both of us.

"What's my role?" Vincent quizzes.

"You're going to run into the center and grab the bags for each of us."

"Right. And what about you?"

"I'm going to defend you from the sidelines, shooting anyone who tries to attack."

"Good."

Vincent uses his sharp sword to cut away a veil of vines, revealing a flash of gold in front of us before it's obscured by the trees again. Vincent freezes.

"Was that the Cornucopia?" he whispers.

"I think so."

"Come on; be quiet," Vincent whispers, beginning to tiptoe toward the gold. It's not too long before we discover that the metal we've seen _is in fact_ the golden horn. When we're close enough that we're in danger of being seen, Vincent pulls me toward a shrub and yanks me down behind it.

"Ow," I mutter as my knee hits a rock.

"Sorry," he whispers. "Is your crossbow nocked?"

I don't respond, but he can see that it isn't. I quickly draw a quarrel from my belt and attach it to the string, readying my bow. I can see that Vincent has tightened the grip on his sword - we're both expecting someone to leap out at us any minute. For all we know, someone is sitting in the tree above us, preparing to leap down and chop off both of our heads. It doesn't seem out of the question, considering the fate of some others in the arena thus far.

It's especially hot today, and we're both sweating buckets as we wait for noon to arrive. We had no clue where we were in terms of the arena; all we knew was what direction the Cornucopia was in (from the Capitol emblem that appeared last night) so we decided to begin our trek early to be safe. It turns out that we were rather close, so now we have plenty of time to wait.

After about half an hour of waiting in silence, I feel like I'm getting sunburned, being so in the open, so I back up a bit to sit in the shade of a mossy tree. Groaning, I wipe a chunk of blonde hair out of my eyes. Vincent turns around, raising a finger to his lips to tell me to shut up.

I suppose he's right about staying quiet, since all of the tributes will either arrive soon, or already here. I don't think anyone would choose to attack both of us before the feast even begins, but you never know. It's better to be safe than sorry.

My eyes scan the edges, searching for any other possible tributes. But everyone is well hidden. For a second, I think I see a flash of violet (Axel?) on one side, but it quickly disappears, before I can really determine whether it was a tribute or not.

I watch Vincent for a moment as he surveys the clearing, likely trying to identify possible exit routes. Maybe he's trying to spot other tributes waiting at the edge. I suddenly feel very nervous as the reality of what's about to happen sinks in. People always die at the feast. We won't go another day with no deaths, and it's very likely that one of the faces appearing in the sky tonight will belong to Vincent.

"You'll be careful, won't you?" I ask after a moment, in as low a voice I can muster.

"Of course," Vincent says dismissively.

"I'm serious. People always die in the feast, and… the Careers probably don't like you. You might be a target."

"I'll be fine," he says. Then, noticing how nervous I really am, he turns to me and looks me in the eyes. "Tristana, I'm _serious_. I'm not going to send myself to my death. If I do get caught up, I trust that you can just shoot the other person with a crossbow. Right?" I nod. "I'll be okay. We both will."

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

I crouch behind a large plant, watching the Cornucopia through the cracks in the leaves. Nobody has been stupid enough to run inside the Cornucopia yet, but I'm sure they're all hiding in the bushes. Right now, the Cornucopia is just an empty gold shell, with not even the original supplies inside.

I guess Trajan took them, even though I don't know why he'd leave the safety of the Cornucopia for the jungle. But all of that is irrelevant now. I need to keep my eyes on the prize - the gifts that will spawn inside the Cornucopia.

I nervously flex my injured fingers as I wait for the supplies to appear - noon must be near. I'm once again back in the clearing, and I can see the sun easily - it's directly above our heads, from what I can see, so the bags must be appearing soon. Last year, in the 247th Hunger Games, the supplies appeared when the ground split and the table raised. I'm guessing they'll do that again, since there's not a lot of ways to get the supplies in.

I wonder what will be in my customized bag… food, most likely, since I'm starting to get quite hungry. But I'm guessing there will be some other stuff… hopefully medicine, to treat some of my many injuries. I suppose anything more than that is too much to hope for, so it's not like I'll get armor or anything overly expensive.

As I watch the empty clearing, I see a bush shift in the corner of my eye. My eyes flicker over to the bush, but I don't see anyone. It must be a tribute, but they're too far away to be a threat.

I start when I hear Leandros' voice, but quickly ready myself to run into the center - I want to be the first, rather than run into the thick of the battle. Usually, the tribute who runs into the feast first is the one who escapes with no damage. And I'd love to escape with no damage.

"Tributes! I'm pleased to see you're all at the Cornucopia - none will have to be blown up, which is always great. This will be much more exciting. It is currently 11:58, so in two minutes' time the bags will appear. Let me remind those who have forgotten - each tribute has a bag corresponding with the color they wear. If both tributes from a District remain, the bag will also be marked with an 'M' or 'F'. The contents of your bag have been customized based on what _you_ need. However, you are not restricted to one bag - you may take someone else's, but keep in mind that this will paint a target on your back."

Maybe I should take Cecelia's? She already hates me for killing Noelani and she _is_ my biggest competitor. But stealing someone else's bag is seen as a pretty dirty move… it's legal, but it's still frowned upon. Like killing your District partner.

"Oh! Would you look at that? It's exactly 12:00 now! I suppose we should let the feast begin!"

I get into a runner's stance, clutching the sword tightly in my non-dominant (the injury on my right definitely won't work in my favor). I watch the Cornucopia and before my eyes, I see the ground crack open. A long table laden with multi-colored bags rises up slowly, and when it's in place, the ground re-seals below it.

My eyes lock on the red bag - it's a satchel, which surprises me. For some reason, I imagined a sack. But a satchel's nice - when trying to get out of the Bloodbath, I can have both hands free.

For a moment after the ground has resealed, there's a moment of silence as we all wait to see who will go first. I look around, and when I realize no one else is going to risk it, I start sprinting toward the Cornucopia.

My arms pumping and blood racing, I lock in on the red satchel sitting in the middle of the table. I try to ignore the ever-present threat of the other tributes, but it's difficult not to be aware of the collective breath everyone has seem to taken. I'm about half-way to the center when I see someone else dart out of the jungle out of the corner of my eyes.

Even though I'm trying to remain focused on the satchel, my eyes flicker over to see who it is. _Cecelia. Of course_. I bet she wants revenge on me for killing Noelani and is planning on slaughtering me. My theory is proven when I see her course is not directed to the Cornucopia, but _me_.

I can see her in the corner of my eye, racing toward me with hatred burning in her eyes. I could stand my ground and try to fight, but I'm afraid I won't be able to beat her. Cecelia's my biggest competition, and with only my left hand, I don't think I have a chance. Maybe I can outrun her to the Cornucopia and grab my satchel - I don't think she'll want to follow me out of the feast with no supplies.

But I've never been a very fast runner, and with all of the injuries I have sustained in these Games, my pace is slowed considerably. Cecelia, who hasn't been as beaten down as me, is able to catch up before I make it to the center.

I slow my pace, preparing to fight, when I realize there's no way to escape her. I don't have time to swing my sword before she reaches me, slicing her sword in a big arc toward my head. It swipes at me so fast, I have no choice but to dive to the ground, crashing painfully onto the soft dirt.

I hear the _whoosh_ as the blade swings over me, and I lift my head from the dirt it's smashed in. I grab ahold of my sword again, since I dropped it when I collided with the ground, and I'm about to leap back to my feet when the toe of Cecelia's shoe smashes into my face.

I feel a shock of pain as I'm knocked backward, and my injured hand immediately flies to my nose in pain. It was already broken, so it hurts even more now. There's a new rush of blood gushing down my lips, and when I open my mouth to say something, I get a mouthful of blood. I immediately spit it out, and crawl to my hands and knees.

If not for the _whoosh_ the sword makes when it's slamming down at me, I'd probably part ways with my head. Cecelia tries to decapitate me, but I hear the noise and throw myself out of the way. Cecelia's sword slams into the dirt instead and sticks in it. While she's yanking it back out, I get to my feet and steady my ground. I spit out some more blood and tighten my jaw.

Cecelia yanks the blade out of the ground, flinging dirt everywhere. Realizing I'm back up, Cecelia hesitates again. After a moment, her eyes flicker to my hand… the injured one, and she realizes it's useless. I can see her take note of the weakness, and a moment later, she swings at my good hand.

I try to block her sword with my own, and the two blades clash together. Metal scrapes as she pushes down, but eventually brings her sword away and right back for another attempt to hit me. I block again. Finally, when attempting to block, my sword strikes lower than intended and hits the fingers wrapped around the hilt of her sword.

Cecelia screams out in pain as the sword clatters to the ground, and she backs up, clutching her hand to her chest. I see blood leaking through the cracks in her fingers, but she covers my view of the injury. My eyes quickly flicker to the ground, and I gasp. Next to the discarded sword, in a spray of blood are two fleshy chunks that I quickly realize are her _fingers_.

She looks at me in horror, realizing that she can't compete with me - at least not anymore, not with her dominant hand damaged as well. Glaring at me, she takes off in the direction of the Cornucopia. I follow her at a slower place, _not_ because I want to kill her, but I need to get my satchel anyway. I'm concerned that someone will attempt to steal it, since I'm a threat and we're allowed to take other people's bags.

The only other people at the Cornucopia are the Vincent and Trajan, who are locked in a scuffle. From the two bags clutched in Trajan's hand (one white, one green), I'm guessing Trajan was trying to steal Vincent's bag. I'm glad I won't have to worry about either of those two, because it seems like they've got issues of their own to worry about.

I quickly glance around the clearing and spy almost all of the remaining tributes hovering by the edge of the clearing. The boys from 6 and 9 are at the edge… fighting each other? I thought they were allies, so this befuddles me a bit. But perhaps they split up since training. The girl from District 6 is also at the edge, aiming her crossbow toward the mass of bodies fighting in the center. I'm guessing she's trying to pick some of us off from a distance before running in, and I remind myself to look out for her. She isn't firing yet, but has a bolt ready to shoot.

The only person I don't see is the girl from District 3, which is slightly odd considering Leandros claimed we were all here. Is she hiding in the bushes or something? She must be, but I think she'll have to run in sooner or later. Perhaps she hid only long enough not to be exploded, then ran off again. It's not the worst strategy, but definitely not one I'd take. My logic is; if you're already at the Cornucopia, why not sneak in and grab a bag?

When Cecelias reaches the bags, I'm only a few yards behind. I see her grab the white bag marked with an _F_ and I expect her to leave; however, before going, she lunges out at snatches up the red bag. It takes me a moment to process this, and in the time that it does, she's already running in the opposite direction.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demand, chasing after her, but she's far swifter and clears the treeline long before me. I scream in frustration as I watch Cecelia disappear, along with my supplies. They could have saved me!

But I suppose she knew that. That's why Cecelia took them - and now that they're gone, she expected me to be inferior in a fight. After all, she has the upper hand now.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

As I crouch in the bushes, I can see the entire feast unravel in front of me. No deaths yet… but that will change soon. The District 2 male chase after the District 1 female, which is a huge relief. Both are some of the toughest competition remaining, and I was worried about them more than anyone else.

The only people truly fighting are Trajan and the boy from District 7, who duel over a green bag. The boys from 6 and 9 also look to be having a tussle over in one corner of the clearing, but they're not using weapons, so it doesn't look too lethal.

Which leaves just the girl from 6 and I to sit on the sidelines. The one with the gem…

I quickly scan the clearing and see hovering by the edge, nervously pointing a crossbow toward the boys from 1 and 7. I'm guessing that she's hoping to help her ally, but doesn't want to risk hitting him in lieu of Trajan. She's a little ways to my right, so I'm forced to quickly scamper over through the bushes, trying not to alert her of my presence. The element of surprise may be the only thing I have.

She doesn't notice as I sneak up behind her, drawing my dagger from its place in my belt. She continues to watch as the two boys brawl in the center over a bag, nervously trying to aim at only one. I gnaw on my lip as I approach, walking as lightly and silently as humanly possible.

This is my first time killing. This is my first time putting myself into danger _of my own accord_. Sure, I've _tried_ to kill her before, with those spider mutts, which would have technically been recorded by my kill (had I been successful) but I wouldn't have actually drawn blood. Now I am.

I don't want to kill her - but I need that gem if I want to make it home.

I raise my dagger, inhaling slowly as I sneak up behind her. When I'm practically on top of her, ready to plunge my knife down, I hesitate. Should I really do this?

But in that time where I _debated_ killing her or not, she turns. Her eyes widen when she sees the knife poised inches above her head, ready to strike.

"Vincent!" she screams and spins her crossbow to aim at me. Immediately, I use the dagger to knock it aside. The blade catches her knuckle slightly, and causes her to impulsively drop the crossbow. She gasps and grapples for it, but before she can regain her weapon _and_ her upper hand, I tackle her to the ground.

She cries out as we slam into the earth, but before she can do anything else, I drive my fist into her nose. She howls in pain and I feel guilty, but I punch her again.

"Vincent!" she cries as my fist collides with her jaw.

I have her arms pinned under my body, but she manages to slide one free and swipes at my throat. I feel a slight speck of pain, but I don't think she's even drawn any blood. I grab her hand and push it back until I hear her wrist snap. She screams even louder now, and her ally finally takes notice.

"Tristana!" I hear the District 7 boy bellow from over in the Cornucopia. I look up in fear, but he's still preoccupied. He turns to run toward us and save his ally, but the District 1 boy swings the shaft of his spear into the boy's nose.

Deciding that I still have time, I remove my dagger from its position in my belt and look down at Tristana in pity. She has tear-tracks cutting into her bloodied face, and as she looks up at me, I hesitate once again.

"Please don't kill me," she whispers, and when she opens her mouth, I notice that I've knocked a tooth loose.

"I'm sorry," I say," but you have something I want."

With that, I drive the dagger down into her chest. She yelps in pain, and looks like she's about the scream, but then blood comes bubbling through her mouth. The moment I see the crimson begin to spill from her mouth, I feel a wrench in my gut.

 _What have I done? I just killed her…_

I know I had to, because she has the gem, and I need it if I want to make it home. I did it for Ada. I just need to remind myself of that. _It was for Ada._ The girl beneath me whimpers as blood gushes out of her chest, and I bite the inside of my cheek, willing myself not to cry. Her cannon hasn't boomed yet, but she's probably already dead.

"Where's the gem?" I ask her in a cracked voice. I doubt she's going to let me know, because why would she hand her killer the key to survival.

But she says, "in my pocket," through mouthfuls of blood. Surprised, I begin to look through the many pockets on her leg. Unsurprisingly, the red ruby is tucked inside the one closest to her hip - the safest place. "Please don't kill Axel… or Vincent," she coughs.

"I can't make any promises," I say, "but I hope I won't have to kill anyone else."

The girl nods, taking rattling breaths as the blood fills her lungs.

"Tristana!?" Vincent bellows. My head shoots up and I see him barreling toward us, leaving his attacker behind at the Cornucopia. Trajan doesn't pursue him.

I clutch the ruby tightly, tucking it into my pocket as Tristana did.

"Sorry," I mutter toward the dying girl, though I doubt she can still hear me. I consider taking her crossbow, but what use would that be? I obviously can't shoot with only one arm and dragging it around would be a nuisance.

 _BOOM!_

The cannon startles me into yanking the dagger from her chest, flinging drops of crimson everywhere. I hope she's already dead, I don't want her to suffer anymore. Her ally is shouting some curses at me, looking the epitome of rage. He has a sharp, threatening sword clutched in a paw and I know I couldn't beat him in a fight by any means.

Gasping, I scramble toward my feet and leap back into the brush.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

"Hadley, let me go!" I shout, but Hadley only tightens his hold on my elbow.

"Axel, you're not going in there! Let me!" he insists, but I don't want him to go in there alone. We need to have each other's backs. Besides, I'm much faster than Hadley - if he runs in, he'll be forced to fight, while I can likely dart in and out, avoiding contact with anyone else. I'm sure Hadley realizes this - but his problem is that he doesn't want to be dependent on _me_ because then he can't do anything to prevent one of our deaths.

"I'm going in!" I shout at him, and yank myself free. Hadley lunges at me again, but I'm already running in the direction of the Cornucopia. I can hear him running behind me, and I yell, "Wait there, Hadley!"

He obviously doesn't listen, because I continue to hear him chasing after me.

When I look back at the table in the Cornucopia, I immediately realize something's wrong - previously, all of the tribute were occupied - the girl from District 1 and the boy from 2 were fighting, and so were the boy from 1 and the boy from 7. But now, three have run off, leaving only the boy from District 1 guarding the remaining bags - a white bag, a yellow bag, and the violet and orange bags that belong to Hadley and I.

"Shoot," I mutter when I realize the only other person still needing to enter the feast is the girl from District 3, who probably already ran off, or will be taken out by Trajan in an instant. Damn Hadley! Had he not held me up, I could have run in when everyone was in the midst of dueling and the opportunity hasn't past.

Realizing I likely won't be able to slip by without being seen by Trajan, I slow my pace. Maybe I shouldn't go in… but Trajan has already spotted me, and he leaps at me before I can make up my mind.

I reach for a dart, but Trajan swings his spear, smacking me on the side of my skull with the hilt. I crash to the ground, stars spinning in my eyes and temple aching. I wince and raise my hand to tenderly touch the side of my head, but it doesn't seem too bad. I look back up, and with horror, see Trajan raising the spear above my head.

I gasp and roll out of the way just as he thrusts the metal tip down. The point snags on my jacket, missing my skin, but pinning to the ground. I pull against the fabric, and it quickly rips. I begin to get to my feet, but Trajan thrusts the spear at me again. I jump out of the way, rolling backwards and away from Trajan.

When I get back to my feet, I see that he has the spear aimed directly at me. Only a few feet away, I know there's no way I'll miss. I bite my lip and will myself not to cry - this is the end, isn't it? This is where I die. This is where the darkness envelops me.

But before Trajan can throw the spear at me, an orange blur knocks him to the ground. He grunts as he crashes to the ground, but keeps ahold of his spear. Hadley has tackled Trajan and keeps him pinned to the ground, throwing punches at any inch he can. I feel the absurd urge to cheer Hadley on, but I know that it would be ridiculous. I can't be cheering for Hadley to _kill_ someone.

Hadley continues to beat up Trajan, but he doesn't seem to realize Trajan still has his spear. As Trajan is repeatedly punched in the face, blood spraying from his nose and mouth, he brings up the sword and knocks Hadley on the side of the head, the same way he did to me.

Hadley is knocked off, and Trajan gets to his feet. When he stands, I can see Hadley behind him - a crumpled mass on the ground, seemingly unconscious. Trajan grins when he notices this, and it's probably _the_ most terrifying thing I've ever seen. His teeth are coated with blood from all of Hadley's attacks, so his bloody smile and bloodied face and mussed hair and manic eyes make him look like a thing of nightmares.

Trajan turns to Hadley and raises his spear - he's going to kill him!

"No!" I shout as Hadley stirs. I charge at Trajan, ignoring the fact that I have no weapons other than my darts. Trajan turns to look at me, and sneers when he sees me rushing toward him. He changes the angle of the spear so that it's facing me.

I gulp and skid to a halt, once again looking my death in the eyes. I reach for a dart and I'm about to throw it when Trajan lunges for me, extending the spear. It happens so past, I don't have time to dodge. The spear catches me in the left shoulder and I'm knocked backwards. It takes a moment for the pain to set in, but when it does, it's an intense throbbing pain and a strangled sob comes from my throat.

I keel over in pain, not even worrying about my surroundings. All I can focus on is the metal embedded on my shoulder. I'm brought back into the present when Trajan yanks the spear back out. This hurts even worse, and as soon as it leaves my body, blood begins spurting out.

I clap my hand over my shoulder, looking up at my attacker in fear. To my surprise, he's not smiling or sneering as I thought he would be. He has a stoic expression, but… is that a tear in his eye?

No, I must be imagining it. He goes to stab me again, but this time, _I'm_ the one knocked aside. Hadley pushes me out of the way as the spear comes stabbing at me again, and I hear a shout of pain a second later.

Looking up, I see Hadley fighting against Trajan, despite the blood spraying out of the horrible stab wound along his thigh. His pale face looks to be in pain as he fights Trajan, slashing at the well-equipped boy with nothing more than a switchblade.

"Axel, run!" Hadley shouts just as his injured leg buckles and he falls to the ground.

I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave Hadley to die. I reach for my darts, but I realize that I dropped the pack when Trajan knocked me down. They're lying several yards away, past Hadley and Trajan.

As I feel tears begin to gush down my face, I realize there's nothing I can do. _I don't want to leave him…_

But despite this, I follow Hadley's last instructions. I avert my eyes and quick run toward the Cornucopia, which is only a few yards away, quickly snatching up the violet and orange bags, and running in the opposite direction.

I hear Hadley's shout of pain behind me, and a horrid squishing sound.

Then another.

More screams of pain from the boy who was practically my brother.

Squishing.

Horrible, awful, blood-curdling screams of pain as Hadley is repeatedly stabbed by the monster hiding in the dark.

A sob chokes me and I can barely see as I stumble into the dense jungle.

One final sound: the crack of the cannon.

 _BOOM!_

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

The sun beats down on me as I trudge through the knee-high muck. I wasn't aware this was a part of the arena, but I shouldn't be surprised. I've spent most of the Games in the Cornucopia, and even when I left it, I wouldn't venture far. When I ran off after the feast, I went in a new direction (to be honest, I just needed to get away from Glorian) I guess I supposed it would be similar to the rest of the arena.

Instead, I'm walking around knee-deep in mud. It doesn't help that the branches above my head are very sparse, and doing a terrible job at blocking the sunlight - which is quite bright today, unfortunately.

 _At least it's not raining_.

My hand is aching. Glorian cut off my index and middle finger on my right hand, and it aches painfully. I wrapped some fabric around it to staunch the bleeding, and I think it's working. It's not done bleeding by any means, but it's slowed. I'm hoping one of the bags contain some kind of medicine - Glorian looked like he had injured fingers as well, so perhaps there was something for that in his bag. I haven't gotten the chance to look inside yet, because I'm still in the middle of the muck.

I spot a rather large, sturdy tree sitting in the center of the mud and sigh in relief. I should be able to stay here for the night. It's not the best shelter, but at least I'll be elevated from the mud.

I climb up, being as wary of my injured hand as possible, but that doesn't stop new jolts from shooting through. I finally make it to a sturdy branch and lean against the tree.

Fortunately, I have a long loop of rope with me, so I quickly tie myself to the branch, not wishing to fall out anytime soon. Now I can start looking through my new supplies.

I start with Glorian's bag, hoping for medicine. I quickly unbuckle it and throw it open, eagerly peering inside.

"Huh?" my face contorts to one of confusion. Inside… a sandbag, a handful of coins, and a rock. What? Why would Glorian need these things? Trying to mask my disappointed, I switch to my bag. Inside is the same things as Glorian's - a sandbag, a handful of coins, and a rock.

That's when it hits me. The Gamemakers don't want to hand out supplies - they want to see blood. They set up the feast as a front to get us in the same place and fight each other. And we fell for it.

 _I_ fell for it. I attacked Glorian because he killed Noelani, but was that really ever his fault? We were thrown in the arena by the Capitol, and the Capitol was the one who killed Noelani. Not Glorian - we're all just puppets being controlled by them. All of the deaths… they weren't at the hands of the tributes, but the Capitol.

Why should I hate Glorian when he's only doing what the Capitol has made us all do?

Are these really the monsters we've become?

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

She's gone. Tristana's gone. I shouldn't have become attached to her, but I did, and now she's gone.

It's my fault, too. Because she told me we'd be in danger if we separated, but I didn't listen and insisted we split up. I insisted I run into the Bloodbath and she stayed on the outside, where I _thought_ she'd be safe. I thought I was being selfless - putting myself in danger to protect her. But yet, she's the one who died. How the fuck does that happen?

It was that damn girl from District 3, the one who I've barely seen this entire time. She killed Tristana, and when I ran over, she was taking the jewel as well. I bet that's why she killed her - Tristana didn't do anything wrong, so I don't see why she would have otherwise. She killed Tristana for her own selfish reason.

I don't care if she has a daughter or whatever - Tristana and I were supposed to return home together! And she needs to pay. I bet she lied about having a daughter anyway - all for the _sympathy_ of the Capitol.

Well, I'm not a sympathetic person. All I know is that she needs to pay.

I will hunt and kill that girl from District 3 if it's the last thing I do.

* * *

 **Finally, the feast! I meant to update over the weekend, but I was busy and didn't get time to write. Hopefully, Day 14 will be posted on Sunday or so. I'm trying to stick to two updates per week (a full day), especially now that we're reaching the finale.**

 **Congratulations to our Final 6: Cecelia, Glorian, Lennox, Trajan, Vincent, and Axel! If all goes well, half of them will be alive by the end (but I'm making no promises).**

 **There's a new poll (I promise this time, because last time I forgot to display it on my profile).**

 **Please review!**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Lennox Porter (D3F)  
Sapphire - Nobody**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)  
10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F)**

 **DAY 9:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 10:**

 **9th: Noelani King (D4F)**

 **DAY 11:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 12:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 13:**

 **8th: Tristana Rockett (D6F)  
7th: Hadley Moreau (D9M)**

* * *

 **SOLO:**

 **Cecelia  
Trajan  
Glorian  
Lennox  
Axel  
Vincent**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 3  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 2  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 1  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	65. Malakai Mavericks IV

**Wow... it's been about a month since I last updated this. To be honest, there isn't really a good reason, I just felt like I temporarily needed a break. I've been working on this little by little. Sorry for keeping everyone waiting!**

* * *

 **District 4**

 **Malakai Mavericks**

* * *

In District 4, the night is silent. Since the fishermen must wake up early to catch the most fish, they always go to sleep at a reasonable time. If you go for a walk in District 4 at 10 PM or so, it's unlikely a single light will be on. Even street lamps are a rarity, reserved only for the richest sections, so the street is illuminated by the moon.

In the Capitol, however, everyone seems to be nocturnal - it's midnight right now, but the streets are still packed and lights shining so brightly, it's difficult to decipher whether it's day or night. The moon isn't even visible here. It freaked me out at first, but by now I've learned not to look up at the sky. Whenever I do, it just unnerves me.

Usually, I don't like to go out at night. I rarely stroll about the Capitol at all; when I was in the Hunger Games, a portion of the arena was based around the Capitol. The similar tall, white buildings give me flashbacks to when I was fighting for my life. There's even a fountain in the center of town that matches the one where we had the feast. I went to it once during the pre-games (by accident) and kept getting flashbacks - Markus swinging his sword at me, a pool of blood under my feet… Flora dying in my arms.

I wouldn't stroll about the Capitol at midnight if not for the small slip of paper I found by my bedside table as I tried to go to bed an hour ago. It was a note from Victoria, telling me to meet her at some coffee shop around midnight. I have the slip of paper still in my hand, as I have to repeatedly check the name of the coffee. I must be close, but Victoria failed to give me the address. Meaning I either have to walk around, hoping I come across it, or ask someone for advice.

Sighing, I walk over to a woman with yellow spikes protruding from her head. I didn't want to talk to any Capitolians… they all seem so inhuman.

"Excuse, ma'am, do you know where the 'Hall of Victors Coffee Shop' is?" I ask. She turns and her eyes widen when she recognizes me. It's not difficult to see how - my face is plastered all over the Capitol, keeping in custom with the usual Victor obsession the year following their Victory. I'm guessing I'll become much less popular as soon as the 248th Hunger Games ends and they have a new Victor to obsess over, but for now, everyone's eyes are still on me.

"Malakai Mavericks?" she squeals, jumping up and down in excitement. I nod, licking my lips uncomfortably.

"So… do you know where the coffee shop is?"

"Yeah, yeah! It's right over this way!" she says, grabbing my hand and leading me down the street easily. I grimace when I realize that her fingernails are so long, they curl into my palm. I try to ignore it, though, because she _is_ helping me, and I really need the help.

She leads me down to the end of the block, and on the corner is a large coffee shop with the words, "Hall of Victors Coffee" above a glass doorway. Despite being nighttime, it's packed with people.

"Wow, it's crowded," I mutter as she leads me inside.

"Oh, this? This is nothing. You should see how it is in the daytime," she laughs. I look around at the tables crowded with people - how could it get more crowded than this?

The line stretches to the door, but the moment people realize that their latest Victor is waiting in line, they step aside and eagerly usher me ahead. The yellow-spiked woman wears a proud look on her face, probably finding it an honor that she's walking into a coffee shop with me.

"Malakai!" the man at the cashier cheers as I make my way to the front.

"Hi," I greet, unsure of myself. I'm not used to so much attention.

"Can I buy you a cup of coffee?" the woman asks me eagerly.

"Umm…" I start, but Victoria comes to my rescue.

"There you are, Mal!" she exclaims. Turning to the yellow-spiked woman, she says, "Sorry, but we're quite busy at the moment." The woman doesn't look very happy at this explanation, but turns and leaves without another word. As soon as she's gone, Victoria leads me over to the counter.

I finally look around at my surroundings - the name is definitely accurate to this cafe, which is completely Victor-themed. The walls are plastered with portraits of all of the past Hunger Games Victors, and a few of the favorites are even replicated in life-sized statues scattered around tables. I try to look around for my portrait, but I don't see it. When I turn back to the cashier, I realize my photo is the one hanging up directly behind the counter.

"As you can see, this is Malakai Mavericks, Victor of the 247th Hunger Games. Do you think we could get a private room?" Victoria asks. I have no idea what she's talking about, but the cashier nods and eagerly pulls us down a hallway with a wide smile on his face. He directs us to a room at the end, which is marked, _Victor's Quarters_.

"Let me know if you need anything," he insists, and then reluctantly returns to the long line of people. Victoria opens the door and allows me to step inside before shutting it.

The room is small, but well-furnished with nearly anything you could need. It reminds me of a smaller version of my floor at the Tribute Center - there's a couch and television, along with a table and some chairs. Two doors lead into a bathroom and bedroom, each furnished decently. I'm surprised by the adequate arrangements - I could live here and be perfectly comfortable.

"What is this?" I ask Victoria in awe.

"Alexandros isn't letting any suspected rebels leave the Capitol. Basically, you're stuck here until he reaches your name on the list and kills you. But I think this should be a safe place. The owner - Triton - he's the cashier you just met - is obsessed with Hunger Games Victors, and would likely do anything to keep them safe. He won't let anyone know you're here," Victoria explains.

"Wait, so I'm -"

"You're staying here," Victoria confirms. "At least until I can sneak you on a train back to District 4."

* * *

 **8th: Tristana Rockett (D6F): Throat slit by Lennox Porter (D3F) - Tristana made it this far solely because of her popularity. Her submitter didn't review or message me, so I'm assuming they're no longer reading. She was an interesting tribute but didn't have the capabilities to make it any farther. She was one of the most popular tributes in the beginning, which kind of led her to her impressive placement, but popularity only leads you so far. It didn't help that her votes in the polls have begun to drop. I realize I'm sounding a bit harsh, so I'd like to clarify that I really liked her and I think it makes a lot of sense that she outlasted the rest of her alliance. I had a lot of fun with her relationships with the other tributes in the Games, such as Axel, Rachel, and Vincent. RIP Tristana.**

 **7th: Hadley Moreau (D9M): Stabbed by Trajan Seth (D1M) - Hadley was such a good guy, and I'm sorry to see him go. However, he never screamed, "Victor" to me. He always seemed like more of a building block for other characters (especially Axel). His submitter also hasn't reviewed in a while, so even if I had initially planned on him winning, there's no way he would have made it much farther. Despite his minor flaws, he had a genuinely good heart and his relationship with Axel was one of my favorites. People have been back and forth on him for a while, but I don't think anyone ever hated him. He had an impressive run, but I'm afraid that it was time to go.**

 **\- Lilah**


	66. Day 14: Part 1: Return of the Hunter

**This is only 4 POVs... I was going to include two more, but considering I spent a full month writing this, I figured it was about time to update. The chapters I had planned were a bit expendable; I'll summarize them at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

District 6

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

The forest is quiet except for the hum of insects as I walk through it, alone. Hadley's _dead_. He's _gone_. And all for nothing, as I discovered last night - the satchels were filled with nothing but a bunch of useless items. At first, I was trying to discover a possible use for them. I had figured that the Gamemakers wouldn't put anything _useless_ in the bags. After all, these were specifically chosen for Hadley and I.

But it finally dawned on me that it was a ploy. I realized the Capitol had gotten sick of these Hunger Games, and with the Final 8 lasting for several days, they just wanted more blood. The Gamemakers didn't want to give any of us supplies - they just want to bring us together to get some more deaths. Which they did.

We've now been launched into the Final 6, thanks to the cruelty of the Gamemakers and the deaths of both Tristana and Hadley - the two people I trusted most, and the two people I wanted to live with me. It messed me up a bit to see their faces in the sky last night. I expected Hadley, of course (there was a part of me hoping he had somehow survived, but that wasn't the case) but Tristana was a shock.

When Hadley had died, I had expected maybe she would take me under her wing. From the little bit I had seen, it looked like she was allied with the boy from District 7. I was a bit hesitant to ally with him, but I knew Tristana wouldn't harm me. But then she showed up as well. Not only did I use the boy I thought of as my brother, but the girl I thought of as a sister.

If all goes well, we'll only need two more deaths before the Hunger Games end. I'm hoping all of the gems belong to someone remaining, because then we can have a Victor and three survivors - as far as I know, that's the most living tributes _ever_ in _any_ Hunger Games. There have been a handful of pairs to emerge from the arena (most notably, Furr and Dakota Pollock), and I think there might have been a trio in the 150th Hunger Games (there's a conspiracy theory that the girl from Twelve and boy from Ten, who were supposedly killed in an explosion courtesy of the girl from Three, who later became the Victor, were accidentally brought up by the Capitol, who after realizing they were still alive, didn't want to admit their mistake and sent them home under false identities). There have never been four survivors - not even in conspiracy theories.

If all of the gems are still in play, the least amount of blood will be shed this year than any other. After nearly 250 years of the Hunger Games, four tributes will survive.

But that's just my hope. It's very likely that some gems are out of play - maybe the tribute was killed by a mutt, or their killer didn't know about gems. I _do_ know that I still have my gem - the emerald is clutched tightly in my hand, as I've become too nervous to keep it in my pocket. I know that there's definitely a chance two will survive - maybe more, maybe less. But two is guaranteed, as long as I make it to the final four.

The words from the temple run on a loop in my mind - as soon as I reach the final four, I'm to go to the Cornucopia, where I'll be picked up via hovercraft. I gnaw on my lip nervously as I try to contemplate what would happen if I _didn't_ get picked up. What if it's another trick by the Gamemakers? Like the feast? It's not ridiculous to assume they wouldn't try to trick us.

I can't think like that, though. If I don't think I have a chance, I'll just give up. I _have_ to make it home. Not just for me anymore, but for Hadley and Tristana. To make sure they and their sacrifices aren't forgotten.

Before, I just relied on others. I would depend on Hadley for basically everything - decision-making, protection, food gathering, emotional support… but Hadley's gone now. And I'm by myself. Now, I must be independent. I must rely on myself to make it to the end. _Not_ on others.

I hear a crash, and gasp. Spinning around, I see a huge figure looming behind me, a threatening sword hanging from his hand. It's not raised to attack, but I know he won't hesitate. The boy from District 2 wears a stoic expression as he stares down at me.

"P-please don't kill me," I mutter, my body numb. I'm weaponless, but how could I possibly beat this guy, even if I was armed with my darts?

"Sorry, kid," the guy says apologetically, raising his sword. "It's the Final 6 - I can't really spare anyone. I'll try to make it fast. I don't want to make you suffer."

"W-wait!" I exclaim before he brings down his sword. "I can help you!"

He looks skeptical, but doesn't bring down the sword.

"How?" he asks, raising his eyebrow.

"You're starving, right? I noticed the Cornucopia was empty while at the feast - and the satchels don't have food inside, so you can't be well-supplied. As far as I know, Careers aren't taught survival skills, so you probably aren't great at plant identification. I bet you've been living off sponsor gifts, but so late in the Games, prices must be racking up. _I know how to get food - I'm great with plants_! I can get you food!"

"Wait, the satchels didn't have food?" he asks.

"No. They had nothing of use. Just… coins and sandbags and stuff."

The District 2 boy grins at this piece of news.

"So… will you spare me? I'll be very useful!"

He looks me up and down for a second, and lowers his sword. "I guess," he sighs, tucking his sword back into his belt. He outstretches his left hand (I notice the right one is bandaged) and I tentatively shake it. I still expect a trick, but he seems genuine. "I'm Glorian Stafford. From District 2. Are you the boy from District 6?"

"Yeah. Axel Woodleigh."

"I don't know if you realized this, but… I think you're the only kid left who isn't eighteen," Glorian chuckles. I knit my eyebrows together in confusion.

"Really?" I ask. I didn't really focus on memorizing ages. The only ones I bothered to learn were my allies (and Tristana, of course). The others didn't seem like they'd be useful to know.

"Yeah. All of us Careers are eighteen, which leaves only the girl from District 3. And I remember her being eighteen."

"Huh," I say. "That's interesting." I honestly have no clue how to respond to Glorian's random observation. Luckily, he doesn't seem to notice my obvious discomfort.

"So… Do you know where we can get some food? I'm starving."

"Um… I think there's a berry bush in that direction. I found it last night, and I know for a fact that they're edible."

"Awesome. I know how to make a fire and I can hunt, so maybe we can catch a squirrel or two? We can build a shelter later for the night."

"Er… I'm not too great at building shelters," I admit.

"Neither am I," Glorian says, and to my surprise, _laughs_. "Maybe we should just find a cave." He actually seems fairly good-natured and nice. Maybe he isn't as stoic as I presumed? But yet, I can't grow as close to him as I did Hadley. I need to survive, otherwise Hadley's sacrifice will have been for nothing. I can't worry about anyone but myself.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

The jungle is silent as I furiously attempt to strike a match. The match tip doesn't spark, as it's supposed to. I suppose it's my fault - I had stuck the box in my pocket overnight, and the rainstorm came quickly, soaking me to the bone. The water bled through the fabric of my clothes and soaked the box. They're not waterproof, so now they're not lighting.

I was sponsored the box of matches last night, after I realized with disgust that the satchel I had worked so hard to get was only filled with useless crap. I guess someone took pity on me and despite the prices being racked up, they bought me a small box of matches. And of course, I only got to use one before the rest were ruined.

Crouching over the dismal teepee of damp sticks, I strike the match hard against the rough side of the box. The pressure doesn't earn a spark, and instead, the match snaps in two. Groaning, I throw it to the ground and bury my head in my hands. Why can't these Games just be _over_ with? It's day fourteen, and yet, six of us remain. Last year, the Games were done by the Final 12. They didn't even make it two weeks. Why are we still stuck in this arena?

To be quite honest, I don't really care whether I live or die. I just want this to be over. I'm by no means suicidal - I'll do what it takes to win - but I'd rather die than suffer in this miserable arena any longer.

The jungle is dark today, since the clouds in the sky blot out any sun. The gray clouds looming over my head, threatening a storm. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a thunderstorm tonight. I'm sure the Capitolians are getting as restless as I am, eager for a Victor about now. The Gamemakers will likely follow the pattern of the last few days by making us miserable, constantly trying to inspire deaths.

I hope it's not another acid rain storm. I shiver at the memory of the burning water shooting from the sky, poisoning my skin and driving me insane with pain. I wouldn't be happy with a second acid rainfall, especially since I don't have a decent shelter at the moment. I was trying to find a cave, but the caves are nowhere nearby. Instead, all I could fashion was a clumsily-made shelter of sticks. And they're gone now, since last night's rain washed it away.

As I stare at my disappointing campsite in disgust, I nearly don't hear the growl at my shoulder. But I do, and it causes me to freeze up. A second growl comes from behind me, and I nervously bite my lip, almost gnawing it bloody. Across from me, a third wolf comes stalking out of the bushes, growling while staring at me in anger.

I let out a yelp as I jump to my feet, swinging my sword, but that doesn't stop the wolf from leaping at me, taking a decent-sized chunk from my calf. I bellow in pain as I stumble forward, the jaws ripping flesh from my leg. I chop at the wolf with my weapon, but it barely does any damage. The wolf slinks back despite this, and I have a moment of reprieve before the two others jump in.

My calf is gushing blood, which seems to drive the wolves wild as they charge at me, snapping at my feet and knocking into me as they drive me away from the pathetic camp. I claw at the floor of vines, kicking at the approaching wolves with my free leg, but nothing I do seems to push them away.

My leg buckles and I collapse to the ground, whimpering in pain as the wolves catch up. I can feel one of them biting at my previous leg wound, and another charges at my face and begins ripping at my ear. I reach up and attempt to kill the wolf, furiously stabbing the beast atop me. However, my sword barely makes a cut in its skin and it continues gnawing at my ear until it fully yanks off the piece of cartilage and I feel a warm gush of blood pour down the side of my face. It takes a moment for the pain to set in, but when it does, it's immediate and blinding.

The wolf has my ear clutched in his jaws and he backs up far enough to begin chewing on it. No longer on top of me, I finally have a decent angle to attack. I lift my sword and leap at him, swinging the blade down into its neck. He whimpers in pain and my ears drops from his mouth blood begins gushing from his neck. I bring my sword back down again, and this time, I hear a snap as the metal breaks through bone and he is beheaded.

Renewed with more confidence now that I have managed to kill one, I stumble back to my feet, shaking the wolf off my calf. The third wolf decides this is a good time to step in and attack, and leaps at me, biting down on my left forearm. I cry out in pain at the teeth tear in, drawing sprays of blood. The second wolf returns to eating my injured calf, but I focus the wolf hanging from my arm. I begin chopping at him with my sword until he's hurt enough to release, dropping to the ground.

His coat is matted with blood, and he seems less hesitant to attack me. He begins backing up with his tail behind his legs, and deciding that he's not a threat, I return to the animal on my leg. I bring my sword down into her skull before she can even react, and her head splits completely open. She crumples to the ground, clearly dead.

With two wolves dead and the other hiding against a rock, posing no threat to me, I lower my weapon and stumble over to a nearby tree. The trunk forms a small alcove which I drag myself into, finally allowing myself to take in the pain. I rest my sword at my side, hoping I won't need it for a while, and begin inspecting my wounds - specifically, my mangled leg.

With all the wolves biting at it, I'm surprised it's not gone. Chunks of flesh are missing, but the muscle is mostly intact. The unfortunate issue with this wound is that it's fairly large, and without bandages or clean water, it's very susceptible to an infection. My arm has several deep puncture wounds that are oozing blood and are quite painful, but since it's my non-dominant arm, I'm less concerned with this. Finally, my ear - or I suppose, lack thereof. When I raise my hand gently to the side of my skull, it's sticky and wet. Once again, infection could be a major concern.

Groaning, I drop my head back against the tree, where it bangs painfully against the bark. For some reason, this slight pain is what sets me into a rage.

"Nice going!" I shout at the sky, forcing a laugh. "Setting wolves after me? Hilarious! Clever! Brilliant! I'm sure that brought quite a few chuckles! Irony… how wonderful! Are you trying to break me down? Mentally? Physically? Why? You strive for entertainment and death, and I bring that, don't I? Why are you trying to kill me? I've killed, like you wanted. I've fought, just like you wanted. But yet, you have no qualms about sending wolves to kill me! Just for the sake of irony!

"You know, this isn't funny! It's my fucking life, and you shouldn't try to end it just for a little humor. It's not fucking funny! It's not fair!"

At this point, I pull myself to my feet, despite the protests from my leg. Tears are streaming down my face as I seethe at the injustice.

"Why are you trying to kill me? I don't understand! I know I'm a terrible person, but that's what you want, isn't it? You love your villains, and that's what _I_ am. So why don't you want me to live?"

I chuck a rock at the sky and it plummets a few yards away.

"This whole thing is stupid!" I shout, punching a tree. Immediately, I wince as pain spreads through my fist. I drop to the ground, massaging my knuckles. I can feel hot tears on my cheeks, which panics me. I'm a wolf - I shouldn't cry!

"You know what?" I shout in a choked voice. "I'm no wolf. I'm the hunter! I kill the wolves and I kill the sheep and _I_ am in control. All of you are the sheep!"

I rest my forehead between my legs, trying to stifle my sobs. I almost don't hear the reassuring chime of the sponsor package floating down above my head. I look up in shock. How could I get a sponsor after my outburst? Not that I'm complaining… I reach up and snatch the package out of the sky, not even hesitating to tear it open.

Inside, is a shockingly decent array of items - it's so late in the Games, I didn't expect so many items. I've been granted with medicine, bandages, and even a small bottle of water. Breathing a sigh of relief, I drizzle some of the water over my leg, take a gulp, then wash the rest of my wounds. Next, I apply a bit of cream to each wound. I'm not exactly sure what it does, but it's clearly some kind of wound-healing thing. Finally, I wrap up each of my injuries, even my ear.

I take a painkiller quickly, and the pain immediately dulls. I breathe a sigh of relief, leaning back against the tree. I look through the rest of the items, trying to determine the purpose of things I haven't used yet. At the bottom, is a bloody chunk of meat. I turn up my nose in disgust as I lift it, baffled. What is this? Am I supposed to eat it?

I hear a whimper and my eyes widen with understanding as the injured wolf begins limping over. Nervously, I offer a handful of the meat to the wolf, who immediately laps it up from my hand. It approaches me with much more warmness in its gaze than was present before, and curls up with its head on my thigh. I watch in surprise.

I surprise even myself when I use the rest of my supplies to dress the wolf's wound. I suppose I'm not as unfortunate as I previous thought.

Like it or not, the hunter is back in the game.

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

As we walk through the forest, I can still tell Axel is a bit wary of me. He makes sure to walk behind me, and his brown doe eyes are constantly shifting around nervously. It's understandable that he's so afraid of a Career, but I hope he warms up to me. I'm hoping that since we both have a chance of making it out of here alive, he'll eventually warm up to me.

He doesn't have a weapon - that much is evident, so I don't need to worry about him stabbing me in the back. Even if he did have a knife concealed in his sleeve, it would be unwise to fight me, even with the element of surprise. Chances are, he wouldn't' be able to muster up enough power to kill me before I turned and crushed him.

"Are these edible?" I ask, squatting down by a berry bush. Axel hesitantly kneels down next to me and inspects the leaves. They have arrow-head leaves and slight thorn at the base. Axel takes a moment to decide, and even takes a small nibble out of one of the berries. His face immediately scrunches up and he shakes his head furiously, throwing the berry to the ground. "Are you okay?" I ask in alarm, remembering that he had taken a bite of one of the berries.

"Yeah, I'm good," he says. "They're only toxic in large amounts, a small bit of juice won't hurt me. But don't eat them."

"Okay, good to know," I say, standing back up. I reach out a hand to help Axel to his feet, but he either ignores me or doesn't notice, because he gets up on his own. Ignoring this, I tuck my sword back into my belt. "Where should we go now?"

"I don't know," he shrugs. "I'm not great at tracking. I guess we should just continue that way," he suggests, pointing in the direction we were previously moving in.

We continue along, but before we can find another plant worth inspecting, I chop away a wall of vines and reveal a large canyon.

"Whoa," I murmur, staring across the canyon in awe. Immediately, I walk over to the edge to take in my surroundings. There's a broken rope bridge swaying somewhere to my left, but other than that, I see no conceivable means of crossing. "Have you seen this before?" I ask Axel as he joins me by the edge.

"Yeah. I was on the other side for a while." He squats down at the very edge of the cliff, staring down into the canyon. "How far down do you think it goes?"

"I don't know," I say, looking down over the cliff. The interior of the canyon is quite plain, with just lush plants lining the interior. The walls are quite steep, but don't slope directly downward. Nevertheless, I wouldn't want to risk a journey down.

"Do you think someone would survive a fall from this height?" Axel asks. I glance at him, and he's chewing his thumbnail as he looks out across the canyon. He must have a fear of heights.

"Probably not. It kind of depends -" I stop talking when I feel a small pair of hands push into my lower back with a surprising amount of force. I gasp as I teeter over the edge, barely able to comprehend that _Axel,_ the twelve-year-old from District 6 has just tried to push me off a cliff. It strikes me with an anger I didn't know I'd have for this kid. Despite his efforts, I regain my balance before toppling off the edge. I spin around, drawing my sword and ready to give this kid a piece of my mind.

Axel stares at me in fear as he realizes his plan didn't work and I raise my sword - this time, he acts instinctively. He kicks my shin, shockingly hard, and enough to get me to keel over. Before I can respond, he grabs my shoulders and pushes me backwards. I grapple for him, trying to latch on to some part of his body. I don't know whether I want to take him down with me or somehow believe he'll keep me upright rather than me pulling him in, but I don't manage to grab on before I begin falling backwards.

I hit the first rock hard and all of the air is knocked out of me as my arm slams into the rock. It takes a moment for the pain to shoot in, but by the time it does, I'm hitting a second rock and bouncing through the air as I topple further down the cliff. It only takes a moment for my bones begin to crack, and then I'm getting tossed from side to side as I fly down the canyon side, hitting every rock and tree branch protruding from the side.

I get a quick glimpse of the lush canyon floor, still some ways away from me. There's a moment when I feel like time slows and I'm suddenly _floating_ down, limbs flailing about as I head toward another rock headfirst. I suppose this is it, now. When I finally get to see Gonzalo again.

I just have the chance to breathe out, "Gonzalo," before my head slams against the rock and everything goes dark.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

As Glorian tumbles down the hill, I back up from the edge, my hands twisted into a knot. My heart is pounding - did I seriously just kill him? My lower lip trembles as I rush back into the dense jungle, wanting to escape from the scene. I needed to kill him, didn't I? If I want to make it home? As soon as his cannon fires, I'll be in the Final Five and even closer to surviving, honoring Hadley and Tristana.

My hand grips the sleeves of my jacket as I stumble through the rainforest. One of my feet snags on a root and I go crashing to the ground. It's not painful, since the dirt is very soft, but I remain on the ground for a while. I killed someone… I reach my hands up and clap them over my ears, squeezing the sides of my head painfully tight to block out any sound. I don't want to hear the cannon fire. Not the cannon I caused.

I don't know how long I lie on the ground, but surely it's long enough for Glorian's cannon to finally fire. However, I don't remove my hands from my ears until I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. I gasp and jump up, knocking the hand away. I scamper background, looking for the person behind me.

The girl from District 3 watches me sympathetically, brushing a lock of black hair from her eyes.

"Sorry for scaring you," she says.

I gulp. I didn't want to kill Glorian - he seemed nice. So does she. But if I want to make it home, I have to. Only two more people need to die before I can escape the arena.

"Do you want to ally?" I ask. "I can help you."

* * *

 **As promised, the two other POVs I had planned:**

 **One was going to be fairly short and just Vincent looking for Lennox.**

 **The other was probably a bit more important, but it was going to be very long without much consequence to later chapters. Lennox was going to be captured by the tribe and almost killed, but would have received a sponsor gift at the last second. The gift would have been a bomb, and she'd use it to blow up the tribe.**

 **\- Lilah**


	67. Alexandros Divine I

**The Capitol**

 **Alexandros Divine**

* * *

"What do you mean, Malakai Mavericks is gone?" I demand, my jaw clenched in anger.

"I mean that Malakai Mavericks is no longer in his room, and we can't find him anywhere in the Capitol," Ambrosius says in a slightly patronizing tone. Usually, I'd punish him for it, but I have other things to worry about.

"Well, at least we know he's a rebel," I sigh, burying my head in my hands. "And there's absolutely no one who has seen him."

"About that," Ambrosius begins, smiling. "We were able to capture footage of someone leading him somewhere. Some fan took a few photos last night of Malakai being led through the Capitol. We don't know where he went, but we do know who took him there."

"Who?" I demand, jumping to my feet. Ambrosius reaches into his folder and pulls out several large, printed images. I look at each of them carefully, but the woman in the images is pretty identifiable. Especially since I see her every day. "VICTORIA!"

* * *

 **Kind of a short chapter, but I just needed to get it up. More info will be in the next chapter.**

 **\- Lilah**


	68. Day 15: Part 1: Necessary Evils

**Well… it's been a while. To be perfectly honest, I have no excuse. I never even considered ditching this story, but I was losing some motivation for this particular chapter. When I'm so close to the end, I feel like I can't really try to get any chapters out of the way, even when I'm struggling with them, which is why it took so long.**

 **I also reopened submissions for Feathers. My tribute list is mostly complete and to be honest, I'd be happy with my current selection of characters, but when I'm so close to the end of Rapids, I figured I might as well get in a few last-minute reservations. If you already submitted, your character will likely stay in the cast, but I just wanted to give more people the opportunity to submit before I don't get another chance.**

 **This is unedited because I don't want to hold off any longer.**

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

" _Gonzalo?" my breath catches in my throat as I look up at the boy leaning over me. A wave of his golden hair shines as he leans before me, cupping my face with one of his hands._

" _Glorian."_

" _How are you here?" I ask in amazement, unable to look away from his eyes. He doesn't respond, he just continues to stare me in the eyes._

I'm awaken by a beeping sound.

Pain. My entire body is in pain, sharp, blinding pain as my broken body lays splayed across the floor of the cannon. I slowly open my eyes, groaning in pain at the simple movement. My tongue feels swollen and dry inside my mouth, and tastes a bit like blood. My breath comes out in rattling gasps that send bolts of pain through all of my limbs.

I just want it all to end. I want to feel at peace for once, and to no longer feel constant pain. Emotionally or physically. I'm sure just lying at the bottom of this cannon will eventually be the end of me. It's not like I can do anything else.

I close my eyes again, hoping I might somehow fall back asleep. Anything to get rid of this awful pain would be wonderful, but I can't imagine going to sleep in this much pain… even if I could, I probably wouldn't wake back up.

 _That wouldn't be too bad_ , I think.

A few seconds later, my eyes shoot back open, sending another jolt of pain through my body. The beeping noise… could that have been a sponsor gift? I look for the source of the noise, and there is indeed a package a few feet to my right. Rather than being uplifted by the sight of the package, a sense of despair fills me. The package is out of my reach - attempting to drag myself over to it would be a nightmare, and that's not even accounting for the fact that it's likely impossible.

 _I can't give up_. I know that. I have people counting on me back home, and I _must_ honor Gonzalo. He didn't give his life for me so I could die at the bottom of a canyon. If I die, I need to at least make it count. I must do whatever I can to win for him - otherwise, his sacrifice would have been meaningless.

My left arm is a mangled wreck, but my right arm is still intact. With teeth clenched and feeling as though I might pass out any moment, I grab a hold of the ground and begin pulling myself toward the package. I yelp in pain as I drag my broken body across the canyon floor, but I will myself not to give up. I _can't._

Despite the short distance, it still takes me several minutes to reach the package. However, I don't relax even with the package in my hand. Shakily, I open the box and a small slip of paper flutters out. My grimy, blood-stained hand smudges the note when I grab it, but I can still read, even through tear-blurred vision.

 _This is some of the most high-tech medicine in the Capitol. Swallow all of them - it should take roughly 24 hours before you're good as new. The game is coming to a close; use this to get you home. - B_.

I release the slip of paper and grab the only thing inside the box - a bottle of pills so small, I can wrap my entire hand around it. The cap is a bit tricky to open, since it's one of those impossible kid-proof ones, and I only have the use of one arm. Rather than struggling with it for a while, I simply break open the glass bottle with one of the many rocks scattered across the canyon floor.

I carefully pick up all of the pills scattered in the dust and swallow them immediately. They're a bit tough to swallow, since my mouth is so dry, but I manage. They're quite bitter and my mouth contorts as I attempt to choke them down. It's honestly one of the grossest things I've ever tasted, and between years on the streets of District 2 and my weeks in the arena, I've eaten some nasty things.

After a few minutes, my head begins to feel foggy and my limbs grow weak. I gently lower myself back onto the floor. I suppose this must be the medicine kicking in - either it has some sleep inducing drugs, or it's a powerful side effect. Either way, I'm falling asleep whether I like it or not. Considering that I'm fairly safe down here, I don't have many qualms about being drugged asleep. It's actually pretty nice.

I'm hoping that when I awaken, the pain will be gone and I can finally win these Games.

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

I watch as Lennox carefully divides the collection of berries into equal amounts. To be honest, I wouldn't be too picky about how many we each get, but she's counting one by one. It's pretty irritating, because at this point, my stomach is rumbling and I just want to _eat_.

I wipe another bead of sweat off my forehead. The Gamemakers have really cranked up the heat today. The sun's barely up and I'm already stifling. Not only that, but the dark clouds signal that it will rain fairly soon.

"Come on, Lennox, does it really matter?" I whine.

"Yes," she mutters, sending a quick glare at me. Honestly, Lennox hasn't really grown on me yet. Perhaps she'd be friendlier in less dire situations, but she's a tough ally to work with. She's quite independent and dislikes compromising; it's clear she's not accustomed to having an ally. She can also be quite stingy and paranoid. She doesn't trust me yet… not that she should.

I don't want to kill Lennox, but this far in the Games, it's a necessary evil. I want the Final 4 to come quick, so I can finally get the hell out of this arena. I was trying to avoid losing my morals, but… after Hadley and Tristana died, I promised myself I'd do whatever I could to survive. For them. I'll do whatever I can to make it out alive, even if it means killing.

"Here," Lennox finally says, passing me my small portion of berries. I mutter my thanks and quickly begin nibbling on them. I glance up for a second, and see that Lennox is leaning against a tree several feet from me, watching me suspiciously out of the corner of her eye. She doesn't look away, even when I catch her staring.

I miss Hadley. I miss Tristana. Hell, I even miss Glorian a bit. He was a good ally until I pushed him off the cliff… I still feel bad about it; I've had a knot of guilt in my stomach all night; but I can't say I regret it. _It was for Hadley_.

And even if it means killing others, I must do it. For Hadley.

Lennox turns around suddenly, looking into the jungle. The brief glimpse I get of her face shows fear; I'm guessing she heard something behind her, but there's so many noises in this forest, I've learned to not rely on them very much. With her attention directed at the jungle, I see my opportunity.

Taking a shaky breath, I grab a small rock from the ground. I no longer have my darts (I was forced to leave them at the feast) so I'll have to make do. I quietly rise to my feet, sneaking up behind Lennox. Thankfully, she doesn't notice me. I begin to raise my rock above her head…

Suddenly, something crashes against my skull.

"Ugh!" I groan, stumbling forward. The rock drops from my hand as I tenderly grasp the aching pain on the back of my head. My vision goes spotty, but I will myself to stay conscious. I look for the source of the pain and see a bronze-skinned man looming behind me. He holds a rock in his hand as well. His brown eyes are cold and determined as he raises the rock again.

I try to back up, but before I can, he swings the rock at my face.

Everything goes dark.

* * *

 **District 7**

 **Vincent Elm**

* * *

"Let me go!" I choke out as the tribe yanks me through the jungle. We've entered deep, and branches claw at my cheeks as I'm pulled through. They disarmed me a while ago, so I have nothing but my fists to try and attack them. I jab an elbow into the stomach of one of the men dragging me, and his grip slackens. I yank my arm free, but it's quickly grasped by someone else.

After several more minutes of being practically dragged along the jungle floor, we break through a wall of vines into a clearing. My overwhelmed brain takes a minute to process my surroundings, but when it does, my mouth drops open.

The clearing is one of the largest I've seen, roughly the same size of the one the Cornucopia is situated in. Except instead of the Cornucopia, a giant moss-covered statue stands in the center. It depicts a lanky, bearded man looking off into the distance. Around his feet are a number of lit braziers and several more people grouped around the outside.

Equally spread along the edge of the clearing are four more statues, each much smaller than the one in the center. The one closest to me is a sharp-featured woman holding what resembles a ruby… just like the one Tristana had. Scanning the rest of the statues I see that they hold an emerald, sapphire, and diamond, respectively.

The clearing, despite its size, is packed with people; a ridiculous number of people. Even if I had my sword, I wouldn't be able to have any chance of escaping. Most are armed with some sort of weapon, and all of the archers are aiming at _me_.

I'm dragged toward the very center of the clearing, the crowd automatically parting to make way for me. They're screaming things in a foreign language. When I reach the center, I'm thrown toward a brazier. I smack my head against the pedestal, which is a bit painful, but my attention is immediately taken by something else.

I'm not the only tribute. A few feet away from me are two more tributes crouched at the base of the statue, looking absolutely terrifying at the people surrounding us. One of them is the tiny boy from District Six (Axel, I remind myself). I'm surprised he survived so long - he's the only person remaining who _isn't_ eighteen, which technically makes him the only child.

The other is the girl from District 3 - Tristana's killer. Immediately, I lunge at her. She gasps and tries to back up, but she doesn't have much space. I'm about to grab her when I feel a sharp pain in my upper thigh. I cry out and my legs buckle, forcing me to collapse. I look down and see an arrow lodged firmly into my leg. Only a bit of blood trickles along the outside, but I suspect it would be more if the arrow was not lodged in place.

Groaning in pain, I pull myself a bit away from Lennox in case she attempts to kill me while I'm weak; it seems like she won't, though - I found out the hard way that the people surrounding us do _not_ want us to fight.

The crowd has been shouting things the entire time, but quickly falls silent. For some reason, the silence sparks dread in my heart. I look up for the source of the silence and notice that the crowd has parted once again; this time, for a tall, beautiful woman walking toward us. Her wavy hair fans out behind her as she approaches, and the crowd watches her in awe.

When she reaches us, she doesn't both looking at any of us tributes. Instead, she turns to face the crowd and in flawless English, begins to speak.

"These three have stolen our precious jewels. They are _thieves_ who have caused a curse upon this jungle. We lost William's jewel a long time ago, which was terrible. And now the remaining three jewels have been taken. We have observed the children to the best of our ability and currently believe that the jewels lay with these three," the woman points at us. "I have been told that the girl has Annabelle's jewel…"

The woman is interrupted with screams of anger directed toward Lennox, who cowers with widening eyes. The woman waves her hand, and everyone falls silent again.

"The younger boy has Robert's jewel; and the older boy has Elinor's jewel."

"Huh?" I ask, confused. I don't have any jewels! What the hell am I doing here?

The woman walks over to us, wearing a smug look. She stops in front of me.

"Now; give me the ruby."

"What?" I ask, my voice squeaking. "I don't have a jewel!" The woman's smug expression grows cold at my words.

"Fine," she says simply. "I suppose we'll just have to take it from you."

At her words, several men leap from the crowd and grab me by my shirt.

"Should we start searching for him?" one of them asks in much less fluent English than the woman.

"Not quite yet," she responds, now making her way over to Lennox and Axel. "Will you two cooperate?"

"I don't have a jewel," Lennox says with a clenched jaw. The woman looks at Axel next. He refuses to meet her eyes, his jaw trembling.

"Do you have a jewel?" the woman questions, leaning closer to him. After a moment, he shakes his head. The woman looks furious. She turns back to the ground and opens her mouth to speak; however, she is interrupted by a beeping noise. "A gift!" she gasps, looking up in the sky in wonder.

Indeed, a sponsor gift is descending from the sky. For some reason, nobody moves as they watch the gift descend, and it lands in front of Lennox and Axel. It's quite large, and I see _both_ a 3 and 6 stamped on the side, which rarely happens. Lennox and Axel eagerly open in, and they each pull something out.

Lennox has a giant shield and a very long, extremely sharp sword. Axel, on the other hand, holds some kind of contraption that doesn't look fully assembled.

The woman looks furious.

"Get them!" she shouts, and walks toward the pair. However, Lennox automatically swings the sword at the woman. The blade passes cleanly through her torso, easily splitting her in two. My mouth drops open as the woman falls to the ground in two parts. Lennox looks in shock at the blood-covered sword, but when a crowd of people begins charging at her, her expression hardens and she waves the sword threateningly. Everyone immediately stops in their tracks.

After Axel regains his thoughts, he immediately crouches down and begins putting his contraption together. It doesn't take long for it to take form, even with the arrows being shot at him (all of which are blocked by Lennox's shield). Eventually, I recognize it - a bomb.

When Axel has finally assembled it, he sets it down and he and Lennox begin running in the opposite direction. At the threat of Lennox's sword, the crowd parts for them and they escape without any opposition.

"Let me go!" I shout, trying to yank myself free of their grip. For some reason, none of them seem concerned about the bomb. "Why aren't you moving?" I demand. "That's a bomb!" They just look at me, confused. "There must only be a few more seconds on it!" I scream desperately, but the very few who know English must have no idea what I'm talking about.

Desperation kicking in, I slam my head back into the face of the man holding me. His grip slackens and I break free, running away from the group. They immediately begin to close in on me, in no way threatened by my weaponless self.

However, before any of them can get a hold of me, there's an ear-shattering bang and a bright light…

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

A cannon fires for the first time since the feast, shocking me out of my half-meditative state. I realize with alarm that I've just been sitting against the tree for nearly two hours now, with almost no awareness of my surroundings - not a good thing to do in the middle of a fight to the death.

My throat feels dry, so I take a large gulp of water before standing back up. Immediately, I sink back down into the muddy floor. I honestly hate this portion of the arena. The only upside is that it seems to be mostly inhabited - I didn't encounter any danger yesterday, which was good. It's a bit sparse in terms of food supply, but this late into the games, that doesn't really matter. I suspect that by the end of tomorrow, I'll either be dead or on a hovercraft to the Capitol. I'm hoping for the latter, but I'll be in a better place either way.

I don't have much of a goal, to be quite honest. There's nothing for me to do but wander around aimlessly. I wish I could fall back asleep, but I'm not tired in the slightest. I could hunt down other tributes, but… that no longer feels _okay_. I'll kill someone in self-defense, but hunting someone doesn't feel right. I suppose none of this is.

Another bang echoes through the air. For a second, I think another cannon has fired. But I quickly dismiss that thought. It didn't sound like a cannon, it sounded like… a gunshot.

A second shot fires the air, and I spin in a circle to detect the source of the noise. It sounds fairly close, which is concerning. I bring out my sword in one hand and my gun in the other (I'm hoping I won't have to rely on long-distance, my aim isn't the best). I scan my surroundings, but I don't see anyone.

I'm about to sit back down and decide that the gun must be against someone else, when I see a man jump out from behind a tree. He aims a rifle at me and I barely get a chance to gasp and leap aside before he fires. The bullet flies past my right, only a few inches away from my arm.

I frantically grapple for my gun, attempting to aim at him. Before I can line up my shot, he fires again. The bullet's much closer, and skims my leg. It takes a second for me to feel the sharp pain, but when I do, I simply dig my fingernails into my palm and try to ignore it.

I run behind a tree (limping slightly) and allow myself to catch my breath before peeking behind it. The man, to my terror, has disappeared. Nervously, I scan the rest of my surroundings, but he's very sneaky.

What's going on? Is this guy a mutt? He was far too old to be a tribute -

I scream when he jumps out in front of me from God knows where. Much closer, I'm able to recognize him. Stony face, blond hair and cold blue eyes… it's my Dad.

No. It can't be him. It must be some Capitol-constructed muttation of him. Just like how that creature who attacked me a few days ago wasn't Noelani. I raise my sword, but I hesitate - I know it isn't him. And it isn't even like I love his true form. But it's still difficult to drive my sword down into his skull.

However, when he raises his gun again, I get over my reluctance and slam the blade down into his neck. He crumples down to the ground, only a thin stream of blood pulsing out of the wound. I pull out my sword before it can get lost in the mud. Sighing, I turn around and return to collect my supplies.

The Game is coming to a close. It's about time I get out of here.

* * *

 **District 3**

 **Lennox Porter**

* * *

Axel is asleep, perched against a tree. After we escaped from the tribe, we found a nice little meadow where he decided to rest. I'm keeping guard, but my mind keeps returning to the fact that we only have five people left in the arena - one more until I can go home to my Ada.

I've bitten my lip raw from indecision as my mind struggles with the internal debate; on one hand, I don't want Axel to die. He's only twelve and he seems like a nice kid. I don't want to stain my hands with any more blood. On the other hand, I need to make it home to my daughter. There's a chance I'll be the next person to die, and I have the opportunity to change that right now.

It's an awful choice, and not one that I want to make. I keep talking myself out of it, but I always end up talking myself right back into it. I feel like I'm going crazy.

 _Just do it, Lennox!_ my brain urges as I watch him sleep. There's a tuft of dark hair sticking up on one side of his head. I nervously unsheath my dagger and stare at the blade with a heavy heart. I _have_ to make it home to Ada. I promised her I'd do whatever it took, even though she didn't fully understand what was happening. She's expecting me to come home, and my only goal should be to do just that. I can't worry about someone else's child when I have my own to protect.

With shaking hands, I crawl over to Axel. My dagger glints as I hold it up, the sharp tip only inches away from his neck.

It's very sudden. With a gasp, Axel's brown eyes flash open and something shiny flashes out of his pocket. My knife clatters to the ground before I can respond and I'm shoved backwards.

The shock doesn't allow me to feel it at first, but when I look down, the hilt of a dagger is sticking out of my stomach. I'm no doctor, but I know it's a fatal wound. I glance up at Axel, who is rocking back and forth with tears in his eyes.

"I," he croaks, then takes a moment to clear his throat. "I didn't want to."

"Neither did I," I tell him. I consider taking the dagger out, but decide to leave it in. After all, I'll probably be dead soon anyway. What does it matter?

My head's already growing fuzzy, so I scoot myself back so I'm propped up against a tree. Axel glances at me, but doesn't move. He looks unsure of what to do with himself. I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my stomach - the pain has finally arrived. I grimace, squeezing my eyes shut. When I open them back up, tears flow down my face.

"You can come over," I whisper to Axel. "I'd actually like that. I don't want to be alone."

Axel, though initially hesitant, crawls over to me.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his voice clogged with tears.

"It's okay," I tell him. "I started it, after all. Would you have killed me even if I didn't try to do it first?"

"Probably," he admits. "I knew you were planning on killing me - that's why I only pretending to sleep."

"You fooled me," I laugh. He smile crookedly, but there's no happiness in it. I take his hand in mine for some comfort. It's small and warm - like Ada's. "I do - did - everything I could for my daughter. She's the only family I have. And I'm the only one she has. I don't think she'll understand that I've died, but I hope she doesn't forget me. She's young; maybe one day, I'll just be a distance memory. Not her mother."

"She won't forget you," Axel says quietly.

"If you survive - which I hope you will - will you visit her? She won't be watching this, so… so I can't give her a message."

"What do you want to tell her?"

"I - I want to tell her that I love her. And one day… not soon, I hope - she'll see me again. And Devin. I don't really know what to say. Nothing can describe how much I love her and it's starting to get difficult to think."

"I'll tell her. If I make it out, I'll tell her."

"Thank you," I sigh, biting back tears once again. I don't want to leave her alone. I'm fine with the concept of death, but I just don't want to leave Ada alone. "You know what? I can't die. Screw this," I say, yanking the dagger out of my gut which only sends a jolt of pain through my stomach.

Though I grit my teeth at the pain, I use the tree to pull myself to my feet. Dark blood is pulsing out of my stomach quickly, and even when I clap my hand over it, it soaks between my fingers. But no, I'm not going to die. I _can't_.

"Lennox…" Axel whispers sadly, but I ignore him.

"Nope! Not dying!" I scream, my voice choked with tears.

I'm not dying. I can't. I'll go to the Cornucopia, and the next time somebody dies, I'll be picked up and saved by the Capitol. Yes, I could be saved. I'm not going to die.

"I can't leave Ada!" I shout at Axel. I stagger away from him, through the jungle as my abdomen protests painfully. I hold it tighter; even though it hurts, it's increasing my odds of survival. Increasing my odds of making it home to Ada.

My limbs begin to go weak and I fall against a nearby tree, crumpling to the ground.

"No…" I whisper, my eyelids growing heavy. "Ada…"

A cannon fires.

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

The wolf and I have an excellent view of the arena below. We've made our way to a convenient overlook, where we can stare down at the arena. It even comes equipped with a zipline leading directly into the Cornucopia, which will be perfect when morning comes. Morning won't be too long from now. The sky is pink, and I think it's already Day 16. The sun is rising, even though it's still hidden behind the trees in the distance.

"We'll be dead or out of here by the end of today," I whisper to the wolf, scratching his shaggy mane. "The end has come."

* * *

 **If you skipped ahead to view the eulogies… well, jokes are on you. The only way to find the deaths is by reading the chapter. I know, I'm evil :)**

 **There will be a new poll as soon as I post the next Capitol chapter (which will have eulogies inside). That poll will be for the Victor, so be on the lookout for that. It will hopefully be up soon.**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)  
Ruby - Nobody  
Sapphire - Nobody**

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)  
10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F)**

 **DAY 9:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 10:**

 **9th: Noelani King (D4F)**

 **DAY 11:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 12:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 13:**

 **8th: Tristana Rockett (D6F)  
7th: Hadley Moreau (D9M)**

 **DAY 14:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 15:**

 **6th: ?  
5th?**

 **SOLO:**

 **Cecelia  
Trajan  
Glorian  
Lennox  
Axel  
Vincent**

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 3  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 2  
Lennox Porter (D3F) - 1  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 0  
Vincent Elm (D7M) - 1**

 **\- Lilah**


	69. Victoria Brade I

**The Capitol**

 **Victoria Brade**

* * *

The train rumbles as it speeds along the Panemian countryside. Based on the rolling green fields I see as we fly past, I'd suspect we're somewhere in District 10. I'm guessing it will take awhile before we reach District 4 - this is one of the slower trains. The faster ones are reserved for passengers, whereas I'm stuck on one the trains carrying goods.

The morning after moving Malakai, I got a bad feeling. I was walking directly through the streets with a boy who was wanted by President Divine. There would likely be some way for him to discover I was the one hiding Malakai. So I jumped aboard one of the trains leaving for District 4 to pick up a new supply of seafood. I don't know whether or not Alexandros figured out it was me hiding the rebels, but he will soon enough. It's best to be long gone before he does.

I heard that Satin Davison has been sheltering in District 4. There's no evidence to back up that rumor, but it's all I can go on. Malakai admitted to me that Satin had visited him at one point or another, so I'm guessing that District 4 is my best bet. If nothing else, District 4's security is so lax I'll likely be able to find a safe hiding spot there.

My stomach aches, but I'll have to ignore it. There's no food anywhere in sight, and it will be awhile before the hunger pains kill me. Before that happens, I'll be in District Four.

Leaning back against an empty sack (I've been using it as a cushion, since there's barely anything else in this train car) I begin playing with the locket around my neck. It's a nervous habit I've gained. The locket hangs just low enough to brush the top of the tattoo inked into my skin. I remember the day I received it vividly - I should, since it was my wedding day.

I feel tears begin to well up in my eyes. Damn it, I think as I brush them away. I try not to think about Quirinus too much. It always ends up with me crying, which is seriously not what I need.

* * *

 **20 Years Earlier**

* * *

"Come on, Vicky!" Quirinus shouts as he pulls me toward the tattoo parlor.

"Are you sure?" I ask, "It looks a bit sketchy." It does, with its graffitied walls and dark windows.

"Yeah, I'm sure. The owner's a friend," he assures me. He grins a crooked smile down at me as well walk into the shop and without thinking, I brush away the lock of silky black hair covering his eyes. There's only two workers in the shop; one of them is taking a nap on a ratty couch in the corner and the other is tattooing a man whose skin is about 90% inked.

"Do you think this is his first tattoo?" I ask sarcastically, cocking my head toward the tattooed man. Quirinus laughs.

"Do you like your flowers?" he asks gently, running his fingers along the pink petals. "I specifically chose them because you said peonies were your favorite."

"When did I say that?" I ask. It's the truth, but I didn't realize Quirinus knew that.

"On our third date. When I showed you my mural. Remember?"

I nod, touched that he remembered such a small detail. When I mentioned my favorite flower in passing, I didn't realize he would note it and later use the information for our wedding - well, the word "wedding" might be a touch extravagant for what really happened. I just put on a white dress and we went to one of the offices in charge of Capitol records. Admittedly, it was a bit spontaneous, but I doubt I'll ever regret it.

"All right, you're all done," the tattoo artist states and the man gets up, barely noticing us. He immediately leaves, leaving us the only ones in the shop. The tattoo artist wheels his stool over to us, a cigarette clamped in his jaw. "So - newly-weds?"

"Yup," Quirinus says proudly.

"Congrats, Q. What do you want?"

"I already sketched it. It's of two lovers from a book I read," Quirinus smiles.

"How romantic," the man grunts, sounding completely indifferent. "Andrea, wake up!" he shouts and the girl on the couch jerks awake.

"Huh?" she asks, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Come ink this girl," he orders, and Andrea reluctantly walks over. She beckons me to her, and I sit down on the chair. Andrea begins prepping the needles, and I wince in anticipation. I glance up at Quirinus for assurance.

"It won't hurt too much," he promises me.

"Of course not. I'm with you."

* * *

 **The Capitol**

 **Leda Dashlon**

* * *

 **20 Years Earlier**

* * *

Victoria stumbles into the penthouse at about 4 in the morning, dressed in a muddy, white dress and bouquet of peonies in hand.

"Where were you?" I demand, flicking off the television. "Mom and Dad are pissed. They think it's my fault you stayed out all night." Victoria ignores me, dancing into the kitchen as if there's a song playing that only she can here. "Are you drunk?" I demand.

"Only on love," she sighs, and I can't help but cringe at the cheesiness.

"Serious, are you drunk?" I ask. "Mom and Dad are seriously going to be pissed if you're drunk." Victoria ignores me, still humming along to some song I don't recognize. I walk over to her and grab her wrist. "Victoria, pay attention to me. I got yelled out for about two hours by Mom because I couldn't tell her where you were. Were you out with that criminal again?"

"Quirinus is not a criminal," she states, her expression hardening.

"He got arrested, therefore making him a criminal."

"It was just for vandalism, he wasn't hurting anyone," she says passively, and I groan.

"Just vandalism?"

"He's a painter, that's what he does."

"He destroys people's property," I remind her, and she rolls her eyes as if I'm being unreasonable. "Why is your dress like that? Did you go in his part of town again?"

"Yes," she says, a bit defensively. "But don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like his part of town is worse than ours."

"Well… it is. Statistically, it has much higher crime rates, houses poorer people, and it also gets your white dress all muddy. Do you know how much Mom spent on that?"

"It doesn't matter, it's just a dress," she tells me, walking toward her room. I follow her into her bedroom, where she strips off the dress. I don't bother averting my eyes.

"Just a dress. It cost a lot of money…" my voice trails off when I see her skin. The entire left side of her chest in covered by some illustration of a woman with a crown atop her head. "Victoria… what is that on your chest?"

"Oh, it's a tattoo! Quirinus picked it - it's of a Queen in a really old book he read. Her King is on his chest. I think her name is Elinor or something. Anyway, they ruled a kingdom in his book and according to him, it's one of the greatest love stories ever told. He thought it was appropriate for us."

"You… you got a tattoo?" I repeat through clenched teeth, trying to restrain myself from screaming.

"Yeah. In honor of our wedding."

I almost don't register her statement. "Huh?" I ask, rather dumbly.

"We got married."

"You… you got married? To a criminal?"

"He's not a criminal."

I ignore her. "Are you serious, Victoria? You got legally married?"

"Yes. I expect you to refer to me as Victoria Brade from now on," she laughs, not seeming to understand my shock.

"My little sister got married," I repeat to myself, trying to understand.

"Correct," she says, rolling her eyes. "I guess Quirinus is technically your brother-in-law now. You're siblings with a 'criminal'."

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Marlor Frank**

* * *

Malakai screams and presses the heels of his hands against his eyes. I don't know exactly what he's seeing, but it's something along the lines of his family being tortured. It's our new method of torture. Psychological methods have been proved more effective than physical when it comes to drawing out information.

I gesture for Bracket to stop the visions, which he does with a slightly green face. Bracket doesn't really have the stomach for the Interrogation Squad, but he's the only one who knows how to work the virtual reality visions. Malakai calms down a bit and stops screaming, but tears continue to pour down his face.

"Now tell me," I say, walking over to him. I kneel down in front of him, but his eyes are closed so he can't see me. "Where is Satin Davison?"

"I don't know!" he cries.

"Again," I order Bracket, and Malakai begins screaming again.

We found Malakai Mavericks late last night at some cafe. The owner was quite adamant that Malakai wasn't there, but we found him the moment we began searching the shop. We haven't killed the owner yet - Alexandros wants a public execution tomorrow morning. I'm very excited for it. I like when people's heads get chopped out. I'm glad Alexandros brought back the guillotine.

Malakai continues to scream and scream, so loud, I barely hear the door opening.

"Marlor?" Alexandros asks, and I spin around.

"Alexandros!" I say, eagerly running over to him. "You know how we've been psychologically torturing people using virtual reality? Well, Bracket is in the middle of constructing a quiz that will tell us their worst fear. It's going to be amaz-"

"Shut up, Marlor," Alexandros says firmly. My mouth closes, but I can feel blood rushing to my cheeks. I don't like when people tell me to shut up. If it were anyone else, I'd probably punch them. But I can't punch the President. "What's Malakai Mavericks doing down here?"

"We're interrogating him," Bracket says from the corner.

"Why?" Alexandros asks.

"...For information?" I answer, becoming unsure of myself. Alexandros wanders over to Malakai and yanks the virtual reality plug out of his head.

"What could this kid possibly know?" Alexandros demands as Malakai curls up, hugging his knees.

"Uh…"

"Look, I know you're not very smart, Marlor, so let me explain," Alexandros says, walking over to me. "Imagine you're leading a rebellion."

"I wouldn't, sir," I say, and Alexandros rolls his eyes.

"Imagine. Imagine that you're leading a rebellion. Would you recruit this bumbling, clumsy, idiotic, eighteen-year-old boy?"

"Uh…" I say, unsure of what Alexandros is talking about.

"No, sir," Bracket speaks up.

"Suck-up," I hiss at him. When I look back at Alexandros, he's glare at me.

"Grow up," he tells me. "Anyway, you wouldn't. Even if you did, you'd surely place him at a lower rank. He's not going to be a confidante."

"Okay," I begin. "So… what do we do with him?"

Alexandros walks over to Malakai and yanks him to his feet.

"The Hunger Games are ending tomorrow. I want Malakai Mavericks kept here, in this building where we can keep an eye on him. We'll load him on the same train as the Victor, and he can go back to District 4."

"Thank you," Malakai mumbles, almost unintelligibly.

"We'll get him in the Capitol whenever we can. He'll be the mentor next year, and we might as well throw him in the Victory Tour. While I doubt he has any importance in the tiny rebellion, I don't want to give him the option to. Just keep an eye on him. Stop showing him visions of his family getting tortured. You're messed up, Marlor."

With that, Alexandros drags Malakai out of the room.

* * *

 **Next chapter is the finale and goddamnit I'm excited. I'm hoping I get inspired to write it soon instead of taking another month XD.**

 **Anyway, now that I'm confirming the last two chapter's deaths, I can officially congratulate the Final Four: Cecelia Hart, Axel Woodleigh, Glorian Stafford, and Trajan Seth! Congratulations to their submitters, Team Shadow, Tyquavis, santiago. poncini20, and Tiger outsider.**

 **Of course, the final poll of this story will be for the winner. I'm currently between two tributes (not going to say who for obvious reasons) and I want to see who everyone else wants to win. Go vote on it!**

 **I've also forgotten to do questions for a while so I'm going to do a ton now.**

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **6th: Vincent Elm (D7M): Blown up by Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - Aw, this guy was so much fun to play around with. I know he was never very well-liked, but I couldn't help but keep him around for a while. It was fun having him get annoyed by Glitter to the point of insanity, then healing him a bit when Tristana came along. But unfortunately, after Tristana died, he completely broke and became consumed with revenge. His lack of popularity never really allowed him to make it out of the arena alive, but I'm going to miss him. I think he was a bit of an underrated villain, honestly. I love driving tributes crazy ;). RIP Vincent, and thank you for the submission, TheNoobyBoy!**

 **5th: Lennox Porter (D3F): Stabbed by Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - Yikes. A lot of people are going to hate me for this one. I know she was a favorite and a lot of people wanted her to make it home to Ada. I honestly considered it for the longest time, and at one point she was my Victor. But she died for two reasons; first of all, I didn't want too many people surviving. I thought that would make survival less special and it would be unrealistic. Second of all, I couldn't imagine her having much of an impact on the story post-Games. Like Mika, she would have just wanted peace and quiet after the Hunger Games, which was ultimately why they both died. I honestly loved Lennox and it pains me to have to write her eulogy, but it's just what's best for the story. RIP Lennox and thank you for the submission, Author-Hime!**

* * *

 **QUESTIONS:**

 **1\. Who do you want to win? What do you want final placements to be?**

 **2\. Thoughts on Cecelia?**

 **3\. Thoughts on Trajan?**

 **4\. Thoughts on Glorian?**

 **5\. Thoughts on Axel?**

 **6\. Which of the Final Four is the most morally good?**

 **7\. Who most deserves to win/survive?**

 **8\. Who was your favorite villain? (Flames or Rapids)**

 **9\. If you could bring one tribute (from Flames or this story) back from the dead, who would it be?**

 **10\. What was the saddest death? (Flames or Rapids)**

* * *

 **GEM CARRIERS:**

 **Emerald - Axel Woodleigh (D6M)**  
 **Ruby - Nobody**  
 **Sapphire - Nobody**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)**  
 **23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)**  
 **22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)**  
 **21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)**  
 **20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)**  
 **20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)**  
 **19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)**  
 **18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)**  
 **17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)**  
 **14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)**  
 **10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F)**

 **DAY 9:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 10:**

 **9th: Noelani King (D4F)**

 **DAY 11:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 12:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 13:**

 **8th: Tristana Rockett (D6F)**  
 **7th: Hadley Moreau (D9M)**

 **DAY 14:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 15:**

 **6th: Vincent Elm (D7M)**  
 **5th: Lennox Porter (D3F)**

* * *

 **SOLO:**

 **Cecelia**  
 **Trajan**  
 **Glorian**  
 **Axel**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1**  
 **Trajan Seth (D1M) - 3**  
 **Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 2**  
 **Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 2**

 **\- Lilah**


	70. Day 16: Dead or Alive

**As usual, this is unedited. I was planning to edit it (for once) but then I realized it was nearly a month since I last uploaded and figured I shouldn't waste anymore time. Well, that's my excuse - I'm actually just lazy af.**

 **I'm also struggling with adding some of the horizontal lines? Not sure why they won't show.**

* * *

 **District 2**

 **Glorian Stafford**

* * *

 _Glorian is wide awake._

I know that much. As I watch the sun peek out from behind the treeline in the distance, I know it's time for me to finally get out of this canyon and this arena once and for all. Dead or alive, I'm leaving this arena today.

It's been more than two weeks since I first entered the arena, about three since the Reaping. It's odd to think that almost everyone I knew is dead now. Glitter, who I didn't know very well or particularly like, is now dead. Lucretius, who I didn't know very well but liked nonetheless is dead. Noelani, who I knew better than most of these tributes and liked, is dead… at my hands.

I did what I had to. I'm aware of that fact. But it doesn't change that I feel guilty about all of it. No gets out of the arena with clean hands - that's what I've learned. And while I've done some things that plague my mind and darken my heart, I'm sure it applies to everyone else as well. I'm not the only one who killed. I'm not the only one who betrayed.

I kept to my morals to the best of my ability - however, in the arena, most deals are off. You do what it takes to survive, even if it hurts someone else. I'm glad I feel guilty about what I've done - I'd be horrible if I didn't - but I wish I could forget it. I wish the blow to my head as I toppled down the side of the canyon knocked the memories of certain things out of my head.

Like killing Noelani. I can still feel the sword plunge into her chest, and I know that if I survive, I'll never be able to forget it. It's going to stand up there with Gonzalo's death, haunting me night and day.

I've been told that no Victors walk away from the Games mentally unscathed. Nearly all have guilt, and the ones that don't usually have some sort of trauma. When I Volunteered, I knew I'd have some guilt, but I didn't anticipate how strong it'd be.

 _Oh well_. The best I can do now is try and complete my purpose, honoring those who've died because of me. I've always had a small part in the back of my mind where I considered perhaps it would be more just if I died as well.

But what good would that do? Then everyone would just forget. They'd forget about me, they'd forget about Noelani, they'd forget about Gonzalo… I need to make sure people remember.

Shakily, I stand up. My jacket is torn to shreds, so I rip it off. It's very hot today so I won't need it. My muscles feel a bit weak after everything, but they support me. Hopefully they'll return back to normal strength after my walk to the Cornucopia. Nervously, I look up the canyon. It's a long climb. It definitely won't be very fun to scramble up the side of a mountain with my weakened body, but I think I can do it. My mind is already mapping out a path.

With clenched teeth, I begin the climb. This won't be fun, but I just have to remember that by the end of the day, this will all be over.

 _Glorian is determined to make a difference. Dead or alive._

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

 _Axel is scared._

I'm so close to returning home. I've reached the Final Four and I still have the green jewel clutched in my hand. All I have to do now is get to the Cornucopia, where I'll get out of here. That's all I have to do. I'm so close to seeing Dad… Mom… my sister Alexa. I just have to make it to the Cornucopia.

I've been walking all morning, eager to get home. I'm on edge - the last thing I want is for one of the Careers to pop out and kill me before I can make it to that golden horn.

I didn't think I would make it this far. I always thought that I'd die early; that's what most people assume when it comes to twelve-year-olds. The last twelve-year-old that won was a long time ago - nearly a century. I think it was around the 270th Hunger Games? Anyway, at this point, a twelve-year-old winning is almost unheard of.

The leaves to my left break away as a figure comes running through and I let out a strangled gasp. Before I can see my attacker, they tackle me to the ground.

"P-please don't kill me!" I beg as I try to push them off. "I-I have this gem?"

My attacker immediately freezes.

"You have a gem?" they ask. It's a female voice, so I can deduce that this is the girl from District 1.

"Yeah," I respond, slightly surprised that they're even paying attention to this. "If I get to the Cornucopia, I can go home. As a survivor - not a Victor, so you'd still be able to win. Please, just… let me go. I won't hurt you."

"Okay," she says, looking a bit surprised at yourself. She begins regaining her sense. "Okay; yeah, why wouldn't I let you go?"

"Y-yeah," I agree, getting to my feet. I brush the tears away from my eyes. "S-so you'll let me go?"

"I'll take you to the Cornucopia," she decides.

"Huh?"

"I'll escort you there, so no one else attacks you. I don't think Glorian would, but I wouldn't put it past Trajan."

"Glorian might," I mumble, "I pushed him off a cliff."

The girl stares at me for a second, then a smile breaks across her face.

"Huh. You're tougher than I thought. It's too bad you didn't kill him - that would have made things a lot easier."

"So you're really going to take me to the Cornucopia?" I ask.

"Yep," she says. "If you can survive alongside me, I want that to happen. The more survivors, the better, right?"

"Yeah," I smile, a bit nervously. I think I can trust her - she seems to understand the logic of keeping me alive, and if she wanted to kill me, she would have already done so. I can't help but be a bit wary, though. "Here, the Cornucopia's this way."

She unsheathes her sword and begins walking toward the Cornucopia, looking warily from side to side. I stick close to her - if someone's offering to get me home, I don't want to get lost or separated from them.

Maybe I can do this? It's so close, now - I can taste it. I feel like I'm almost _tasting_ District 6; the smoke from all of the factories and the dark rough District 6 bread; the constant rain and the constant clanging of machinery wherever you go. I used to find it unpleasant, but now it's appealing in a way it's never been to me.

 _Home._ I long to be held in my mother's arms again, safe and free from all of this horror.

 _Axel is going home. Dead or alive._

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Trajan Seth**

* * *

 _Trajan is alert._

I can see the entire Cornucopia laid out below. Perched on the cliff with the wolf next to me, I know the time is coming for me to zipline down. I've already figured out how it works in preparation; I was clever enough to realize I need to be able to swing down the moment I see anyone enter the clearing, so I worked it out in advance. There's a harness made of leather straps and I just need to tighten the buckles to get into them. There's also this lever to _stop_ the zipline, which seems like a pretty important tool for when I reach the bottom.

My sharp eyes stay locked on the clearing in the Cornucopia, waiting for _somebody_ to break through the treeline. I'm hoping they'll enter one by one so I can pick them off. It would suck if Glorian and Cecelia somehow allied; that would make things difficult. However, Glorian killed Noelani, so I believe they hate each other and working together would be out of the question. I can't imagine either being dumb enough to team up with the twelve-year-old, but who knows? Either way, he'll be easy pickings. I don't care if he scored an 8; I've seen him fight before and it's not the most impressive display.

The wolf looks at me with big eyes again, begging. I sigh and scratch its scruff. I know what it wants - the thing's hungry. But I don't have food, and if I did, I would take it for myself. I don't really want the wolf to be taken away from me. I didn't want to get attached to it, which is why I didn't name it. Well, I subconsciously think of it as Trajan Junior, but I'm trying to stop calling it that. I wonder if I would be allowed to take it with me when I win?

Damn it, I'm now attached to an _animal_. How _ironic_ that it's a wolf. The Gamemakers appreciate irony; maybe they'll let me keep it for humor's sake.

I sigh. I'm being fucking _optimistic._ What has become of me?

I forget about the whole wolf issue when my eyes pick out two figures entering the clearing down below. A smile creeps across my face when I recognize them as Cecelia and the Six boy.

"Come on, Trajan Junior - it's time for us to make the Final Two," I mutter eagerly, picking up the wolf. I groan under his weight - I think he's a relatively light wolf, but it's still difficult. I clumsily climb into the harness, my stomach suddenly jolting when I realize I'm at the very edge of the cliff. "It's pretty high. Don't move," I tell my canine companion, fully aware he has no idea what I'm saying.

I tighten the straps (not too much, I want to be able to get out easily when I make it to the bottom) and take a deep breath. Mentally ready (kind of) I jump.

For a second, it feels like we're just falling. Trajan Junior howls and I tighten my grip on him, fist digging into his scruff, but then the harness catches us and we go shooting forward.

We're flying toward the ground quickly, the whole arena going by in a blur around us. I underestimated the speed, and it's all I can do to remain calm. I'm fairly certain I left my stomach behind on that cliff.

As we approach the ground, my right hand begins grappling for the brake - unfortunately, my right hand is holding my sword and my left is busy keeping Trajan Junior secure against my chest. I stick the handle of the sword between my teeth, clamping down painfully hard as I yank the brake to a stop just in time.

Cecelia and Axel still haven't noticed me. The zipline comes to a stop just behind the Cornucopia, so I have the element of surprise. I'm sure the screeching of the brake alerted them somewhat, but I doubt they know what it is. The harness swings back and forth when it stops, and I quickly climb out of it. Trajan Junior jumps from my arms and shakes his shaggy coat, looking frazzled.

I pull the sword from my mouth and Junior and I begin sneaking around the horn.

"What was that noise?" I hear the boy ask shrilly.

"Maybe the hovercraft?" Cecelia replies, sounding very unsure.

I step out from behind the Cornucopia, revealing myself.

"The hunter has come for the shepherd," I announce, Trajan Junior snaking around my legs. Cecelia and Six's heads snap toward me. Her expression immediately coldens.

"What is he talking about?" Six whispers, but we ignore him.

"I see you've gotten yourself a pet," Cecelia remarks.

"Yep. And he's going to eat your little ally as I kill you," I say casually. Then, pointing at Six, I say, "Food! Attack!"

Trajan Junior looks at me cluelessly.

"Well, you're an idiot, aren't you?"

He dumbly smiles.

"Go get!" I snarl. This time, he gets the clue and charges at Six. The boy screams and tries to use his arms as a shield but Trajan Junior knocks him down. Cecelia leaps to try and protect Six, but I'm already rushing at her. "Hey Cecelia!" I shout.

As she turns to look, I slam my sword down toward her head. She ducks just in time and the blade whistles over her head. Pumped with adrenaline, I immediately bring it back. Cecelia unsheathes her sword quickly and blocks my attack. Metal grinds until she throws my blade off and jabs her's at mine.

I twist to avoid the blade and send a swift kick to her knee. Her leg buckles and she drops to her knees. I swing my sword at her face, but she manages to avoid it by dropping to her stomach. Even though she's not dead, this gives me the chance to jump on top of her.

Cecelia attempts to swing her sword to hit me, but I hit the blade so hard, it flies from her hands. I can see in her eyes that she knows the battle is lost.

I raise my sword, prepared to bring it down on her.

BANG!

I'm confused. I don't feel the pain in my stomach at first. Then it shoots through me like a lightning bolt and I fall off of Cecelia. I look down at my stomach in shock, where a puddle of red is spreading around a small hole just above my navel.

I whimper in pain as I fall back against the ground. How… how did I not win? I don't understand. My head falls to the side and I see four figures standing at the edge of the clearing. I cry out when they come into view - the girl from District Eight, the boy from District Twelve, the boy from District 9, and Lucretius Marlo. My victims.

"Karma," the girl from Eight says, smirking.

"You deserve to die. You don't deserve to win," says the boy from District Nine.

"Now you have to join us. You have to join your victims," Luc says.

"I-I'm sorry!" I blurt out. I don't know what made me admit my guilt; maybe the pain spreading through my stomach or the dim awareness I won't have any other chance. But I've done what I never thought I'd do - admit my wrongdoings.

"You'd better be," someone says. I look up and see Cecelia standing over me, gun pointed down toward my face.

"Sorry," I whisper again.

BANG!

 _Trajan is sorry. Trajan is dead, but he will still be haunted - dead or alive._

* * *

 **District 1**

 **Cecelia Hart**

* * *

 _Cecelia is surprised._

Moments after firing the gun, a cannon rings through the air, signalling Trajan's death. I'm not as pleased as I thought I'd be. Trajan is so despicable, I thought I'd be rejoicing at his death. But all I feel is a bit of grim satisfaction. And then fear when I remember Axel.

I spin around, terrified that the cannon I initially assumed was Trajan's could actually be for Axel.

But Axel is still thrashing around on the ground, desperately trying to push Trajan's wolf away. I think he's weaponless, because all he seems to have done is keep it from doing any serious damage. Before it gets the chance to, I scoop up the sword and jam it into the wolf's hide. The wolf howls and scampers off of Axel. I threateningly lunge at it and it runs off into the jungle.

"Are you okay?" I ask Axel when I'm satisfied the wolf has left us alone.

"Yeah," he murmurs, still in shock. His right hand clamps his shoulder, where I see blood oozing out. "My shoulder hurts a little bit," he admits, trying to sit up. He falls back, wincing. "Okay, a lot."

I kneel down beside him and gently draw his hand away to inspect the wound. It's deep and bleeding fairly heavily, but it's high enough that it missed the heart. I think he'll be fine, considering he'll get treatment very soon.

"It hurts a lot," he whimpers as I pull him to his feet.

"I know. But you're getting out of here, right? You can see your Mom again."

"Yeah," he nods. Though he's still in pain, he looks considerably brighter at the notion of returning home. He looks up at the sky and I notice tears in his big brown eyes. "There it is," he says, so quietly, I almost don't hear him.

"The hovercraft?" I ask. He leaves my question unanswered as I look up at the sky, seeing the giant contraption hovering above us. A ladder is slowly sliding down for Axel. I feel a lump in my chest as I look up at the machine that will finally take Axel from this horrible place; I can't help but wish it was for me instead. How wonderful would it be if everything ended right now?

The ladder slides down until it's in front of us. Axel glances at me with hopeful eyes.

"I hope you win," he says.

"Me too," I sigh, ruffling his mop of dark hair. He gives me a sorrowful smile that makes him seem way older than twelve year old and grips onto the ladder. His body seizes up as the bolt of electricity shocks through him and he's frozen as the ladder begins to retract, bringing him to safety.

I bite my lip painfully hard as I watch him get whisked into the hovercraft. A moment later, it disappears.

Somebody finally left the arena - alive, for once. I can't help but feel a bit jealous of him. He's finally free of all of this madness, whereas I have one more fight. Against someone who will be difficult to beat.

Looking back on the Hunger Games, I don't think I made the best choices. I antagonized Trajan, leading him to hate me. I grew much too close with Noelani. I ditched the Careers and took their supplies rather than having an amicable split. Despite Noelani's warnings, I took Trajan's gun… which woke him up… and caused him to wake Glorian… who killed Noelani.

It's my fault Noelani's dead. I may not have delivered the final blow, but my stupidity was what led to her death. Glorian was just doing what we've been trained to do - kill. We've all just been manipulated to put on this show for the Capitol. It's just a fucking reality show! A reality show where we slaughter each other and ruin our lives! It's messed up. The Capitol is messed up.

The problem is, I have a lot of hurt and anger. But I can't blame it on others. I'm the only one I can blame. In some way, everything that hurts me is something I did to myself. I killed Noelani. I volunteered to be on this fucking game show. I can never escape all of this guilt - I'll always be guilty. But maybe I can stop blaming other people?

Or maybe I should stop blaming innocent people. Because after all, I didn't purposefully mess everything up. I was just a mindless pawn. But I don't want to be the pawn. I want to be more than that, and get rid of this fucking catastrophe of a world. I don't want to be whatever sick entertainment the Capitol makes me.

Trajan was right. Except there aren't any wolves in this arena - there never were. Trajan wasn't a wolf. The boy from District 5 wasn't a wolf. I sure as hell wasn't a wolf. We're all sheep. The Capitol are the wolves. And they hunt us repeatedly and we're just sheep so we blame each other.

I laugh out loud maniacally - am I seriously believing Trajan's messed up philosophies now? I suppose I should get out of this arena before I grow anymore crazy. I don't want to lose any of the little sense I have remaining.

"Come on, Glorian! Can we just get this over with?" I scream at the top of my lungs. I doubt he can hear me - for all I know, he's on the other side of the arena. Or stuck in the canyon that Axel claims he pushed him into.

I sit down, leaning against the Cornucopia where I spent so much of my time in this arena. This may take a while. But I'll be ready.

 _Cecelia will not be a sheep. Dead or alive._

* * *

 **The Arena**

* * *

Glorian is close, now. He can feel it. He has walked all day, and now, as the sun begins to hide behind the treeline in the distance, he can just about see the golden glint of the Cornucopia from between the cracks in the trees.

Cecilia knows Glorian's close. The arena has gone completely silent, all mutts quieted for this final duel. She can hear Glorian stomping through the forest. It looks like it will be a sunset duel.

Glorian is scared. He's strong, but so's Cecelia. She hasn't been walking all day, so she must be more energized for this moment.

Cecelia is excited. Not for the duel, but to get this over with. She thinks she has a chance, but she has no idea what shape Glorian's in. This could be the end for her.

Glorian wants to win. He wants to make sure Gonzalo is remembered. He wants to make sure he isn't forgotten about. So many lives are destroyed because of the Capitol - he wants to do something about it!

Cecelia also wants to win. She wants to get revenge. For Noelani; for anyone who has died at the Capitol hands. She needs to get rid of this injustice once and for all.

Glorian has a sword.

Cecelia has a sword as well. He gun is ridden of bullets, making this a full melee fight.

The only other thing Glorian has is his heart. His love for Gonzalo is what drives him.

The only other thing Cecelia has is her soul. Her burning desire for freedom is what drives her.

Glorian is thinking about the past. He wishes Gonzalo wasn't gone, but now that he is, the best he can do is fight for him. That's all he's ever done. Fight for other people.

Cecelia is thinking about the future. She wishes one day, they wouldn't be controlled like puppets. That's all she's ever done. Fought for the Capitol. She wants to break free from the strings.

Glorian has nothing back in District 2. All he has is the hope he can make a difference.

Cecelia needs to save her family; she has to remember that.

Glorian misses Gonzalo.

Cecelia misses Noelani.

Glorian is ready.

Cecelia is ready.

Glorian enters the clearing, sword in hand.

Cecelia stands up at his approach, already unsheathing her sword.

The two stare at each other for a moment before Glorian begins jogging toward Cecelia.

Cecelia charges at him. The two meet in the center, swords clashing as they slam into each other.

Glorian stands, rooted to the ground.

Cecelia stumbles, but immediately bounces back, slashing her sword at Glorian again.

Glorian blocks with his own sword and knocks hers away.

Cecelia sees Glorian's sword come flying toward her stomach and she leaps back. It only skims along her gut, barely cutting the skin.

Glorian's powerful slice pulls him to the side as Cecelia kicks him in the chest. He stumbles back, barely keeping his balance.

Cecelia jabs her sword toward him and it slides along his bicep, cutting deeply.

Glorian howls at the pain, reciprocating by slamming his sword into Cecelia's calf.

Cecelia's leg buckles and she falls back. Before she can get up, Glorian pounces on her.

Glorian tries to disarm her, but she uses her free hand to clumsily punch his nose.

Cecelia rejoices when the blow knocks Glorian back, allowing her to stand. She's less pleased when he manages to grab her foot and violently twists it, snapping her ankle.

Glorian cries out as Cecelia swipes her blade across his forehead, causing him to release her leg. He now has a stream of blood leaking into his eyes. It hurts, but she didn't cut bone. He's still okay.

Cecelia almost falls again after attempting to put weight on her ankle. She can barely walk, but she's still alive.

Glorian climbs to his feet, wiping blood out of his eyes.

Cecelia uses her sword as a temporary crutch, wincing in pain.

They stand still, watching each other for a moment. Who will strike first?

One of them finally decides to strike, lunging at the other. The other knocks their blade aside and sends a knee into their stomach. The first one stumbles back, wind knocked out of them.

The second takes this time to attempt to decapitate them, sending the sword in a whistling arc toward their neck. However, the first holds up their sword just in time, blocking the blow.

Cecelia's leg buckles again, but she stays upright.

Glorian's arm is hurting a lot.

The first kicks the second in the shin, causing them to release the pressure on the sword.

Cecelia thinks of Noelani. She wants to win for her.

Glorian thinks of Gonzalo. He wants to win for him.

The first strikes back, energy renewed by the memory of their loved one. They want this to end. The jab the sword at the second, who can't sidestep in time. The sword enters their side, probably dodging major organs, but still dangerous.

The second cries out, waving their sword at the first in attempt to hit them. The first dodges, hitting them again, this time on the thigh.

The second falls back, overcome by their injuries. The first looks down at them, hesitant. Do they really want to kill?

No. But they do want to leave so that they can make a difference. With that, they drive the sword down into the second.

A cannon fires.

They're finally going home.

* * *

 **I'll post the Victor announcement soon. It won't be long, so I promise I won't take a long time to write it.**

 **I** _ **still**_ **don't know who the Victor will be! Please review who you** _ **want**_ **it to be and who you** _ **think**_ **it will be. I'll also have one final poll.**

* * *

 **DAY 1:**

 **24th: Zaira Quentin (D7F)  
23rd: Nikola Allegra (D3M)  
22nd: Savanna Davison (D9F)  
21st: Kade Anderson (D11M)  
20th: Macey Aderyn (D5F)  
20th: Tracey Aderyn (D5F)  
19th: Quinten Fredericus (D12M)  
18th: Felix Camacho (D8M)  
17th: Buck Hayford (D10M)**

 **DAY 2:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 3:**

 **16th: Linen Baird (D8F)**

 **DAY 4:**

 **15th: Lucretius Marlo (D4M)  
14th: Glitter Monique (D5F)**

 **DAY 5:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 6:**

 **13th: Arabella Cantros (D10F)**

 **DAY 7:**

 **12th: Dennis Fielder (D5M)**

 **DAY 8:**

 **11th: Yael Harident (D11F)  
10th: Rachel Ivy (D12F)**

 **DAY 9:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 10:**

 **9th: Noelani King (D4F)**

 **DAY 11:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 12:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 13:**

 **8th: Tristana Rockett (D6F)  
7th: Hadley Moreau (D9M)**

 **DAY 14:**

 **None.**

 **DAY 15:**

 **6th: Vincent Elm (D7M)  
5th: Lennox Porter (D3F)**

 **DAY 16:**

 **4th: ?  
3rd: ?  
2nd: ?  
1st: ?**

 **SOLO:**

 **Cecelia  
Trajan  
Glorian  
Axel**

* * *

 **KILL LIST/REMAINING TRIBUTES:**

 **Cecelia Hart (D1F) - 1  
Trajan Seth (D1M) - 3  
Glorian Stafford (D2M) - 2  
Axel Woodleigh (D6M) - 2**

 **\- Lilah**


	71. Epilogue 1: The Survivor

**Sorry for the wait! I'm not feeling very motivated for these epilogues so they'll likely be a bit shorter than those in Flames. Nonetheless, I will get them out and hopefully sooner than my past updates.**

* * *

 **District 6**

 **Axel Woodleigh**

* * *

My prep team flocks around me, adjusting every little detail of my tuxedo. Camilla and Liber, my escort and mentor, watch from a corner in the room. Camilla keeps trying to throw in her opinion on my outfit, but nobody pays attention to her - I can tell she's getting anxious.

"Why are does he need to get dressed up? I thought he wasn't going to be added into any of the ceremonies," Liber inquires, scratching the back of his neck.

"He's just going to pop in for an interview," my stylist, Loras, explains (once again).

"But doesn't that count as part of the Victor's publicity? I didn't think that would be included -" Liber begins, but Loras cuts him off.

"The Capitol liked him so much, they made some exceptions," Loras shrugs. "I'm not sure why you're upset. He's lucky! He gets some of the fame."

I nervously fidget with the sleeve of my jacket (I don't get the Capitol's fashion sense - the sleeve hangs down past my hands. It's much too long, but Loras claims it's part of the style). I don't like the idea of the interview. I'm not much of a public speaker, and I was hoping I'd be immune from the publicity.

"I just want to go home," I say in a small voice.

"You will!" Camilla insists, looking at me with those pitying eyes she constantly uses. "Only a few more days - then you'll be on a train to see your Mommy again! Until then, you can enjoy the Capitol!"

I nod and hide an amused smile - I find it funny how she talks to me as if I were six years old. I was just sent to my death, I don't need a teddy bear (which she did procure for me, to Liber's delight). Although, I do sleep with the bear. While I realize I'm likely too old for it, it helps with the nightmares.

"It's too dark," Camilla says, leaning over Lorcas's shoulder. "Shouldn't it be brighter?"

"Would you like me to create another full tuxedo a shade lighter?" he asks sarcastically, which does get her to shut up.

* * *

When they're done obsessing over my outfit, Camilla and Liber lead me down to the stage. I have to restrain myself from biting my lip, because Camilla will take any opportunity to criticize my teeth.

"Stand up straighter!" she hisses as we enter backstage. My breath catches when I realize it's the same one we were in during the interviews. Only a few weeks ago, twenty-four kids lined this hallway… twenty-two are dead. Two at my own hands. Linen's dead. Tristana's dead. Hadley's dead…

Camilla steers me into position by the stage entrance, so I'm not technically visible by the crowd yet, but if I lean a bit forwards, I can see the vast number of people in the audience. I make the mistake of doing so.

I gasp as I jolt back, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.

"You'll be fine," Liber says under his breath.

The audience breaks into a loud cheer as Cupid Bloke runs out onto the stage, waving enthusiastically as he flashes a bright white smile at the crowd.

"Welcome!" he shouts loudly. "Tonight, we'll get to interview our latest Victor - I know we're all very excited to see them. But first, we have a special treat - Axel Woodleigh!"

"Now?" I yelp, astounded, but Camilla is already nudging me out onto the stage. I'm forced to walk out onto the stage before I can comprehend anything. The noise of the crowd drowns out anything else and the bright lights shining in my eyes nearly make it impossible to see where I'm going. I manage to make it over to Cupid Bloke and clumsily sit down on the loveseat across from him.

"Hello, Axel," he smiles.

"Hi," I gulp.

"It's surprising you're a bit nervous, considering you just went through the Hunger Games," he says, and looks at me expectantly. I don't know what to say.

After an awkward moment of silence, I mumble, "that wasn't a question. How do I answer?"

"Haha! Sass!" Cupid cheers. I wasn't trying to be funny or anything. "How do you feel? How's your arm? Does it still hurt from wolf bite?"

"It doesn't hurt. It's kind of difficult to use, though. The doctor said it damaged some nerves in my hand."

"Whoa. How did it damage your hand if you injured your shoulder?"

"I-I don't remember," I say nervously.

"Oh. Okay. Now let's talk about Vincent Elm! He was your first kill, wasn't he?"

"Yeah," I say in a small voice. I really don't want to talk about this.

"Are you proud of yourself?"

"N-no. I didn't want to hurt anybody."

"Oh, well… that didn't work out too well did it?" Cupid chuckles. After a moment, I shake my head. "Well, I wish we could talk to you more, Axel, but I think everyone's anxious to chat with our latest Victor."

I immediately jump to my feet. After quickly accepting Cupid's handshake, I rush off the stage.

"Now, let's introduce our latest Victor to the stage…"

* * *

 **I know, I'm evil.**

* * *

 **EULOGIES:**

 **4th: Axel Woodleigh (D6M): Survives - To be perfectly honest, the reason I added the gems to the arena was so that Axel could survive. After that, I never doubted for a second that Axel would survive. I vividly remember finding my initial plan a month or so ago and seeing that I had planned for Axel to be killed by Glorian at 3rd place, and I was absolutely appalled at myself. I couldn't fathom ever killing this kid. He was by far one of my favorites because he was a perfect example of a complex younger tribute, which are often difficult to find in SYOTs. I've mostly seen twelve-year-olds be portrayed as terrified, useless crybabies when there are actually very mature twelve-year-olds who deserve more representation. I feel like at first, Axel may have come across as a little timid and only survived thanks to Hadley, so I was glad he broke out of his shell toward the end and became a fierce competitor without losing his lovable quality. Despite being only twelve-years-old, he successfully manipulated and seriously injured three of the strongest players in the arena (two of whom died). Axel deserves to survive completely, and I'm glad he's standing next to the Victor as one of this year's survivors. While he didn't technically win, he'll be far from forgotten. Expect to see him in my following stories because I'm excited to continue his story. Thank you for submitting him, Tyquavis!**

 **3rd: Trajan Seth (D3M): Shot by Cecilia Hart (D1F) - As much I would have loved for him to win, it was pretty much out of the question. A lot of people understandably hated him, but a few liked him (including me). I had so much fun with him and while he could by no means be considered redeemable, he was a conflicted villain who was more than "evil". It would have been so fun for him to win, and honestly, I considered it early in the story. But his submitter stopped reviewing early on so I ended up not having the option, anyway. I even feel bad taking him this far when his submitter hasn't reviewed in so long. While he definitely wasn't very lovable, his interactions were fun and he provided a unique touch to the story. RIP Trajan… I guess? XD**

 **\- Lilah**


	72. Epilogue 2: The Crown

**District 4**

 **Malakai Mavericks**

* * *

As I'm led down the corridor of the President's Mansion, I get major deja vu from when _I_ was crowned. Somehow, that was only a year ago. It feels like so much longer. I'm not really supposed to do anything at the crowning, Alexandros just said he wanted me there. Although, I suspect they want to prove they have me on a tight leash.

The Peacekeepers lead me out to the balcony, where the most recent Victor stands, facing the crowd. They're all dressed up for the ceremony, and the crowd is obviously very pleased to see them. They get even more excited when they spot me. I'm told to stand by a few adults who I guess are part of President Divine's team. I recognize the woman next to me as Divine's assistant, though I have no idea what her name is.

The crowd erupts into a roar of excitement as Divine enters, holding a Victor's crown. It's identical to the one he placed on my head a year ago. However, I'm no longer scared of him. I don't know why, especially now that I know how evil he is. But I just hate him. I don't have any fear of him.

When Divine starts speaking, I don't pay much attention. I zone out, although I'm snapped back to reality when I feel something bump against my hand. I look to my left and see Divine's assistant staring straight ahead. However, she tapping my hand. After a second, I realize she's holding something. I subtly let her transfer it into my hand before sliding it into my jacket pocket. I don't know what it could be, but her subtlety suggests it's something she doesn't want anyone else to notice.

"Now, let us crown our most recent Victor!" Alexandros says, and I look back at him. "The Victor of the 248th Hunger Games, Cecelia Hart!"

* * *

 **This was fairly short, but I knew I just had to post this. I don't know why, but I'm really unmotivated for these epilogues. I'm excited for Feathers but I just need to get through these XD. I keep shortening my plans for each of these, but even so, it takes me such a long time to get through them. Sorry for keeping you hanging. I'll have the eulogies next chapter (where we'll also check in with the Victor).**

 **\- Lilah**


	73. Epilogue 3: The Rebels

**The Capitol**

 **Victoria Brade**

* * *

The streets of District 4 are surprisingly busy this early in the morning. I'm familiar with the Capitolians' tendency to stay up late partying and spend the next morning hidden in their houses. I suppose these fishermen have to wake up early, but it's odd for me to see people wide awake and running down the streets when the sun barely shines across the sea.

I've reached District 4, and I feel fairly safe, though I don't know how I'm to accomplish my mission. I'm hoping to find Satin, but I underestimated District 4's size and it will be difficult to search for him. I'm guessing I shouldn't ask around about him, but the other option is to wander the streets in hopes I'll eventually come across him. Even worse is the fact that I've never met him in person - meaning, I'm not too familiar with what he looks like. I've seen photos of him, but only a few low-quality ones.

I clearly didn't think this through, which is rather unlike me. Yes, I can be a bit impulsive, but if I get an opportunity, my worrying nature will cause me to think through all the consequences.

I'm beginning to panic when I notice a tall, blond-ish man walking toward me. This wouldn't be unusual for District 4 if not for the fact that the roots of his hair are very dark, hinting that he's dyed it. As he approaches, I'm able to confirm that this is in fact Satin. I'm quite lucky I've already run into him - it could take ages.

"Are you Victoria?" he whispers when he reaches me.

"Yeah," I say, "How did you -"

"Know your name? I have spies. People you talked to. I know why you're here," he says.

"I'm here to help you," I whisper. He lightly pulls me out of the street and toward the side of the road.

"I have somewhere we can go. I'll tell you all of my plans there. But be quiet. Most people agree with our views here, but there are still many who would turn us in."

"Where's your safe spot?" I ask, nervously.

"Follow me."

* * *

 **Only two more epilogues to go! This is taking a really long time, but I'm really excited for Feathers.**

 **\- Lilah**


End file.
